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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25006036">How To Love A Spider</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElliotOrion/pseuds/ElliotOrion'>ElliotOrion</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Spider Project [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alpha Harley Keener, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, BAMF Peter Parker, Getting Together, Harley Keener as Iron Lad, Hydra Peter Parker, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Omega Peter Parker, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Precious Peter Parker</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 05:01:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>19,049</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25006036</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElliotOrion/pseuds/ElliotOrion</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Five years after being saved from Hydra by the Avengers, Peter is happily settled into his life as a member of the hectic Avengers family. That is until Tony brings Harley to live in the tower after an accident in Rose Hill, and Peter's forced to confront emotions he barely even knows the name for. But when Hydra rears its head(s) again, Peter will be forced to face something even more terrifying.</p><p>His past.</p><p>(Reading at least the first part of this series before this one is highly recommended)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Harley Keener/Peter Parker, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Spider Project [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1725457</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>116</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>747</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Yay, we're finally to part three!!! And the whole reason I started writing this monstrosity aka for that sweet parkner at the end of the very traumatic rainbow... Anyways, I know i said i would be summarizing the previous parts at the beginning of each new one, but frankly, you should really read at least the first part of this series to get the full impact of this one since yes, Hydra comes back (yall have been bracing for it for this whole time, YES it is now going to happen, sheesh yall are impatient... jk ily). You'll understand it if you don't, so it's okay, but you should. According to the comments on them, it's worth it. </p><p>As always, trigger warnings are listed with each chapter but there's nothing big in this part, it's mostly fluff and a healthy helping of angst later on :3 I hope y'all like this conclusion to the series!! Now, on with the show!!</p><p>TW: none</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Are you sure you’re ready to do this?” Tony frets, fixing Peter’s suit collar and hovering around him like the nervous parent he is.</p><p>“Yes, I’m sure, dad. Come on, you’re about to go on stage.” Peter groans, shoving him towards Pepper, who’s finishing up her mascara. </p><p>“You ready, Pete? We’ve got a backup announcement if you don’t want this.” Pepper comes over to collect her mate, a small smile on her face. </p><p>“Yes, I’m sure, now go you two or the press are going to go nuts!” Tony whines in annoyance, but goes out into the fray with Pepper, leaving Peter to definitely-not-freak-out off on the sidelines. Because he is. Freaking out. He definitely 110% is freaking the hell out. </p><p>Somehow, through the power of intimidating assassins and legal teams, he’s sure, they managed to keep Peter’s identity secret even with him going to school. It helped that no one actually believed that he was Tony Stark’s kid beside his aca-dec team, who promised to keep it under wraps. Which they decided was just fine. They’d had Laura show up for his parent-teacher conferences, much to Tony’s annoyance. </p><p>Still, it was a miracle no one found out. </p><p>And now they were going to find out. Everyone, all the press, all the public, all his teachers and his school and the colleges he’ll apply to… everyone’s going to know. Not about being raised with Hydra, that is, they are still using his cover story, but who he is now. Pepper Potts and Tony Stark’s adopted son and part of the Avenger’s family.</p><p>“Peter,” Natasha puts her hands on his shoulders, turning him to look at her. </p><p>“If one more person asks me if I want to change my mind, I will stab them.” </p><p>“I’m not going to ask you that. I’m telling you to breathe. It’s going to be okay. People are going to go nuts, of course, they are, but that’s their problem. It’s not going to change anything with your friends or with the rest of us or with the people you work with.” </p><p>“I know, I know, I just… am I making the right decision? I mean, senior year starts in two weeks, should I, I don’t know, have waited? What if this is the wrong move?” Peter picks at his lip, a bad habit he picked up a while ago from Bucky. </p><p>“There’s never going to be a good time for this. If you’re ready for it now, then why not?” Nat shrugs. “Now, get ready, you’re about to go out.” He nods, taking a deep breath, before stepping close to the edge of the hallway branching out from the press conference room. </p><p>“Tony and I adopted a son five years ago,” Pepper says, calm and clear into the microphone as the press explodes into questions. She halts them with a hand in the air. “We adopted him after Iron Man saved him during a villain attack. Tony realized that he was homeless and an orphan, and when we asked him if he’d like to stay with us, he accepted. However, we kept his existence secret to respect his privacy as a minor and allow him to heal. He has made the decision now to introduce his existence to the public, but I would like to remind everyone here that he is still a minor, and should any media or press personnel harass him Stark Industries will pursue legal action. Are we clear?” </p><p>A chorus of agreements and nods ring over the crowd. </p><p>“Excellent. Then I’d like you all to meet our son, Peter Benjamin Parker,” Pepper turns to the side, nodding to him. </p><p>Peter rolls his shoulders, takes another breath, and walks onto the stage. </p><p>The flashing lights instantly make him flinch, and he has to turn his face to the side to avoid them. He’s got his earbuds on too, and is wearing soft fabrics under the suit because a sensory overload in front of everyone would be… bad. People are shouting at him. Even muted he can hear the din, and he most definitely can feel the press of all those microphones and cameras and eyes. </p><p>He has no idea how Tony, Steve, and Pepper do these things so often. </p><p>“Hi everyone, I’m Peter,” Peter says into the microphone, Tony’s hand giving his shoulder a squeeze. His lines are on the podium already, written out with Pepper’s help. Though by lines. he really means the greeting and answers to questions that will inevitably be asked. If he gets overwhelmed by any of them, he’s supposed to step back and let Tony handle it. </p><p>The reporters erupt, calling his name and shouting questions all over each other. Pepper picks one to ask a question. </p><p>“Peter, how do you feel being the son of such influential people?” the man asks. </p><p>“Well, other than living in this cool tower, it’s not that much different to having normal parents. They love me and make sure I do my homework and tell me to clean my room. My allowance is just a little bit bigger.” Peter shrugs. Speaking of which, he has to clean his room. </p><p>“Peter, what happened to your parents?” Someone else asks. </p><p>“They were killed in a plane crash. I had no one to go to, so I ran from Child Services and lived on the streets. When a villain attacked, Tony saved me from being crushed in the building I’d been hiding in. He realized I had no one and took me in, so…now I have parents again.” </p><p>“Peter, are you involved in any aspects of Stark Industries?”</p><p>“I think I’ll answer this one,” Tony slides in, giving his million-dollar grin to the crowd. “Peter’s a genius engineer and scientist. The first time we talked he told me how to improve my suit in ways that would save my life during later missions. He’s had a hand in many of our products. Most notably, he’s been head of the prosthetics line since it released. Peter’s probably smarter than me, and we all know I’m not a fan of being humble.” There’s a round of laughter before the questions kick up again. </p><p>He gets another on the prosthetics line, saying that he has experience working with them before since his biological father was an amputee, and one on his relationship with the Avengers, which he answered saying they were his family and he worked on their gear. There’s a question about his plans for the future and whether he’ll be taking over SI. Then another back to asking about what projects he has in mind, for the disability aids department or others. </p><p>By then he’s running perilously short on energy and any ability to keep putting up with the noise and the lights and the crush of different scents, so Pepper steps in. </p><p>“Thank you all for your questions, but I think that will be all for today. Thank you for coming.” Pepper, Tony, and Peter walk offstage, into the quiet and dim light of the side hallway. </p><p>“You did great, Peter,” Pepper gives him a big hug. “I’m so proud of you.” </p><p>“Congrats on surviving your first press conference kid.” Tony grins. </p><p>“Did I do better than your first one?” Peter smirks at Tony’s horrified gasp. </p><p>“I’ll have you know I did amazing considering how much alcohol was in my system, alright?”</p><p>“He threw up in a plant.” Pepper shakes her head. “Lucky for him Howard’s PR was able to brush his alcoholism off as grief. An argument that started failing soon after.” </p><p>“I’m being attacked.” Tony pouts. “Natasha tell them to stop attacking me!”</p><p>“I’m sure they have good reason to be attacking you, Tony.” Natasha sighs, walking over to them. “You did great Peter.” </p><p>“Thanks Auntie Nat.” He rubs his eyes. “Can I go hide in my room for three weeks now?” </p><p>“Well, only two and a half, you do have school.” Pepper winks. “Tony and I have to go make sure that this goes over smoothly, though. We’ll be back by dinner, promise.” She kisses him on the head, before walking over to her personal assistant and the Head of PR who were waiting on standby. </p><p>“Wait Tony has to what?” Tony whines at the look Pepper shoots him, giving Peter a kiss too before following her. </p><p>“Come on, I’ll go with you,” Natasha nods to the elevator. “I’ll keep Morgan entertained for you.” </p><p>“Oh thank god.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>yes yes i know it's taking forever to introduce Harley to the mix but i had a Plan for this massive fic and damn it i was following it through ok? And uh. Lets just gloss over the fact that everyone conveniently forgot/didnt believe Peter was actually close with the avengers and it never got into the press and shit, shall we? I had intended for part two to end differently, with the typical avengers q+a where they'd say peter was just Tony's intern and therefore close with the avengers, and that gets to the public but who really cares about an intern? But like, it just didn't feel right to have Peter STAY on the tour after what happened, and he's sort of the narrator... SO let's just pretend that happened after he left and the characters didn't wrench my plans out of my hands and shit on them, mkay? Great. </p><p>Carrying on.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Dude, I can’t believe you told everyone!” Ned flops down onto the cozy couch in Peter’s room, gently moving the arms of his squid doll that Wanda had sewed for him years ago. “The whole team has been going nuts texting the chat!” </p><p>“Trust me, I know. I had to have Friday mute my notifications or else I was going to go crazy.” Peter groans, falling onto his bed. </p><p>“You need to respond.” MJ shakes her head. “I think Betty is going to break something if you don’t give her something for the school news instagram.” </p><p>“Fine, fine, I will… How’s Flash taking this?” He can’t help the grin that stretches over his face. Flash got expelled after the stunt he pulled on the field trip, but he returned the year after due to “good behavior” and daddy’s money. Tony nearly flipped, but Peter calmed him down. </p><p>Since then, Flash hasn’t done much besides spread rumors and make nasty comments just out of earshot of the teachers. There’s been some shoving against lockers, but it was super toned down out of fear of more repercussions. MJ found out that his father was going to disown him if he got in trouble like that again. </p><p>Peter’s a bit worried about how senior year will go, just like he has been at the start of every year, but he can handle it, even more than he could freshman year. </p><p>He may or may not now have a reputation for being a bad boy after a video of him taking down Flash at SI was released during Flash’s expulsion hearing. And after a couple more fights stopping other shitty alphas from hurting other omegas. He still can’t defend himself to his fullest capabilities, using his abilities and killing students is pretty frowned upon, but he’s far from defenseless if it comes to it. </p><p>“Just pull up the aca-dec chat, man, you’re going to love it,” Ned cackles. Peter shakes his head, before finding the phone he’d hidden in his desk drawer for the past few days. </p><p> </p><p>Aca-Nerds Group Chat</p><p>Abe the babe: HOLY SHIT HAVE YOU GUYS SEEN THE NEWS </p><p>Abe the babe sent a link </p><p>Abe the babe: HOW DID WE NOT KNOW THIS? </p><p>The Queen: He literally told you. Multiple times. </p><p>Abe the babe: Yea but HOLY SHIT </p><p>Flash and dash: what the fuck. What the FUCK. </p><p>Sith-Kabob: This is going to be good</p><p>Flash and dash: How is this - I don’t - NO!</p><p>Bet on it: Is someone with @flash and dash I want this on video </p><p>Flash and dash is offline.</p><p>Bet on it: awwww </p><p>Abe the babe: where the hell is Peter I have QUESTIONS </p><p> </p><p>The messages keep going, a lot of asking for Peter to get the hell online, a lot of Flash keyboard smashing and ranting, and a lot of “why the hell didn’t we believe him again everyone remember that field trip?” There are over two hundred messages, and frankly, he couldn’t give a damn about half of them. </p><p>“Isn’t it great?” Ned laughs. “Oh and check your email, Mr. Harrison apparently sent you something.”</p><p>“Of course he did.” Peter sighs.</p><p>“If it’s anything but an apology I have the brass knuckles.” MJ looks up briefly from her book. Peter opens his emails, finding hundreds from his mom’s PR people, Twitter messages he forgot to turn off when he made the account, school emails about the start of school he actually should read now that he thinks of it, and nestled among offers for interviews, one email from Mr. Harrison. </p><p>“Is it wrong I’m surprised that it’s an apology?” Peter frowns, reading the thing. “Like, he’s nothing but nice, but he’s never been shy about telling me to stop lying. And I’ve always gotten the vibe he was on Flash’s side back then even after the video.”</p><p>“Well, he did let a potential rapist back on the team, so I’d say your vibe was warranted.” MJ scoffs. She had not been quiet about her objection to that, but since she hadn’t been captain of the team at the time she couldn’t object, and since there was nothing that happened after she became captain last year, Mr. Harrison wouldn’t let her remove him then. </p><p>Peter couldn’t say he was thrilled having Flash back on the team, but seeing him benched while Peter brought their team to the nationals as their chemistry and mathematics whiz, he wasn’t overly bothered. </p><p>Showing up people was kind of fun when you knew you wouldn’t die if you didn’t. Less pressure and all. </p><p>“How’s the Twitter thing going? I still can’t believe you made one without asking your mom.” Ned snorts. </p><p>“Yea, how did she react?”</p><p>“She didn’t actually care, really. Thought it was a good idea for the world to get to know me in a way that was more comfortable for me than press conferences. She just passed the account over to PR so they could tweak the bio and get me verified and stuff and told me to be careful about what I post. So… yeah.” Peter shrugs. “It’s weird though, I got millions of subscribers in a few hours and everyone was asking me questions. I got overwhelmed really quickly and hid in the lab for a day or two.” </p><p>“Oh, so that’s why you didn’t answer our texts?” MJ raises an eyebrow, crossing her arms as she leans against the couch. </p><p>“I told you I was okay this time! And what was happening! Don’t give me that look dang it.” he pouts. He thought he did good this time! </p><p>“Just teasing you. I’m proud of you Peter. That has got to have been a rough thing to do, but hey, things will calm down soon enough, right?” </p><p>“Hopefully.” </p><p>“Well hello there Peter and minions,” Tony knocks on the door, peeking his head in. “I presume you are the ones who ordered Chinese food?” </p><p>“Technically it was Steve who ordered, he just asked us if we wanted any too.” Peter grins. </p><p>“Ah, well that explains why it took an entire cart to move all those bags. I suggest you three get your fill before the super soldiers attack it. Peter, I’ll be in the lab with Morgan, come on down whenever you want.” </p><p>“Sure thing dad. Grab some egg rolls, mom will get mad if you don’t eat again!” </p><p>“Yea, yea,” Tony waves his hand as he leaves, grumbling about getting called out by his whole family. </p><p>“Is Morgan supposed to be in the lab? Isn’t she like, five? You guys work with repulsors and weapons.” Ned frowns. </p><p>“No, but trust me when I say you don’t want to be the one to tell mom.” Peter shudders. “She won’t kill the messenger, but she will scare the ever-loving shit out of you.” </p><p>“I love her.” MJ sighs. </p><p>“That’s gay.” He gets flipped off. </p><p>“Come on, he wasn’t kidding. They always order less than they technically should so we really need to get there first.” </p><p>“I call dibs on the dumplings!” Ned darts ahead. Peter laughs, watching MJ and Ned start fighting over whether or not he can actually eat two large orders of dumplings. </p><p>He’s not sure why he was worried things would change with his friends. They already knew who he was, after all. But still, it’s one thing to visit Stark Tower to visit with your friend, and another for that friend to suddenly be the most talked about teenager in the country. </p><p>He should know better by now.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>i was way too lazy to format the chat portion nicely. whoops. also lmk if anyone wants a twitter fic, I put that in there on the off chance i decided to make one since I've kind of been wanting to. It'd be for this au of course.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>yea ok im not happy with this chapter, I'll admit it. i literally had a note on it to fix it later, but i forgot about it and never did fix it, and my hand is injured so im typing this out one-handed which is annoying enough. so like, im not fixin' it now. sorry. I hope it's alright and just my brain being mean, but if not, next chapter is better, i promise. enjoy?</p><p>EDIT: FUCK i forgot to tag the trigger warnings for this one!! </p><p>Trigger Warning: Homophobia, and nongraphic homophobic hate crime (Harley gets jumps after being outed). The event isn't described in detail but there is a solid discussion of the aftermath and keeping Harley safe. He's got a lot of people working to keep him safe and help but if this sort of thing bothers you then just be warned. it's towards the end when Peter starts asking why Harley is really coming. You can skip the ending after that and you won't miss anything bc... now you know. Harley gets hurt and goes to NYC to stay safe. There you go. Stay safe kids.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>Transcript of CNN interview with Peter Parker</b>
</p><p>R: So, Peter, I think a lot of people are wondering, why did you decide to make yourself known now?</p><p>P: Well, I guess I was just tired of having to hide. It’s going to be my senior year in a few weeks, and I want to start it as being truly myself, you know? </p><p>R: Understandable. Do you have any plans for college yet?</p><p>P: My dad wants me to go to MIT, of course, but I’ve only ever lived in the city, so I’m not sure I want to leave. I’ll be honest I’ve been a bit nervous to start looking. It’s a big decision, and I want to make the right one.</p><p>R: Well, I’m sure you’ll get into whatever school you decide on, with your intellect. Speaking of which, Tony Stark said that you may be smarter than him. How do you feel about that?</p><p>P: I don’t know, honestly. I know I’m smart, but Tony is something else, and I’m not sure I’ll ever live up to his legacy. </p><p>R: You mention legacy. Do you know if you’re going to be his heir? Would you like to be?</p><p>P: I’m just a teenager, ma’am, I think it’s a bit too soon for me to be thinking about inheriting a company when I can’t even pick a college. </p><p>R: Of course. There’s been a lot of buzz about your involvement in the prosthetics department of SI, but I’m curious, what other projects are you a part of, or are interesting in pioneering? </p><p>P: I mostly just help out where I can. But I got inspired by that Disney movie, Big Hero Six, and I want to make something like Bay-max. Our doctors and nurses get exposed to tons of dangerous viruses, so I think having something to safely administer care in those cases could be really beneficial. I need to talk to hospital staff before I do anything though, to see what would be most helpful.</p><p>R: Sounds great. One last question for you, in your initial press conference, Pepper Potts mentioned recovery. Can I ask what she was referring to?</p><p>P: I have anxiety and PTSD after living on the streets, and I also have sensory issues that complicated things. And when I first came to the tower, I had a lot of health complications too. I have Celiac’s disease, lactose intolerance, and a lot of allergies, so I struggled to find things to eat on my own. By the time Tony found me, I had severe malnutrition. It took a while for things to bounce back, which is why I didn’t return to school until high school. </p><p>R: Well, we’re glad you’re better now. Thank you for joining us Peter.</p><p>P: Thank you for having me. </p><p> </p><p>“How’d I do?” Peter whispers to Natasha as they leave the CNN building after the interview Pepper had hastily set up. </p><p>“You did fine, why are we whispering?” </p><p>“I don’t know.” He laughs. “I feel like I was giving stupid answers.” </p><p>“Nah, you did fine. People are going to love you, I promise.” Nat pulls him in for a quick hug before they get into the car. She drives them back to the tower, where everyone else had apparently been watching on the TV. Other than Pepper, who was at a meeting and not happy about it, and Tony, Steve, and Clint who got called out for a quick mission. </p><p>“Your dad said they’ll be back in fifteen, with dinner,” Sam looks up from his phone, his feet currently in Wanda’s lap. Wanda does not look happy about it, but she doesn’t move him. She’s nice like that. </p><p>“What are they bringing?”</p><p>“Sushi. Tony found out I have never had any.” Wanda sighs. “I haven’t had any for a reason, but he insists I must try it.”</p><p>“It’s actually pretty good.” Peter flops down onto the couch, knocking Sam’s legs off to make room. “Like, I know it sounds gross, but it doesn’t really seem like you’re eating raw fish.” </p><p>“It looks slimy.” </p><p>“Definitely not slimy.” Nat laughs. “Hey J, did he order me curry?”</p><p>“He did not, Spider Mom. Shall I add curry to the order for you?” Jarvis asks. Sam snickers at the Spider Mom comment. </p><p>“Yes please Jarvis.” Nat smiles pleasantly at the camera in the corner, before glaring at Sam. “Shut up.” </p><p>“Okay, so Peter is the one who changed it.” Sam laughs more. “If it was Tony, you’d definitely be getting stabby.” </p><p>“Stabby is not an emotion.” </p><p>“Yes it is.” Everyone but Natasha says. </p><p>“In this family, it definitely is.” Wanda shakes her head. “I’m going to wake up Bucky for food.” </p><p>“Speaking of stabby…” Natasha sighs. “Good luck.” Wanda waves her away, headed towards the elevator. Peter joins Natasha in the kitchen, setting out glasses of water like he always does while she sets out forks for those who won’t be eating the sushi. And one for Wanda, because she’s already trying sushi against her will, they don’t need to torment her with chopsticks too. </p><p>The elevator dings, Wanda and Bucky joining, and a minute later the slightly soot-stained Clint and Steve come in, with a perfectly clean Tony behind them. </p><p>“Dinner time!” Tony announces. They head to the dining room, Steve trying desperately to stop the mad dash to tear apart the take out bags and failing entirely. Getting between Natasha and her curry is generally a bad idea. Getting between Clint and any form of food is asking for an arrow in your butt. </p><p>“Are you sure this is edible?” Wanda pokes at her plate. </p><p>“Just eat it for god’s sake so we can stop hearing him complain.” Clint groans. Wanda tries it. </p><p>“It’s actually… not bad.” She sighs. A cheer rings out, with Tony grinning proudly. </p><p>It’s lovely. Just sharing takeout with his family, after the chaos of CNN and the interview and all those cameras and being suddenly thrust into the spotlight. Seeing Clint drop hot broccoli down Sam’s shirt just to be a little shit, getting tackled to the ground before Bucky hauls both of them up by the collar with a growl. Being asked to join Nat and Wanda at the spa tomorrow, even if that used to be a girls' day thing. They know he finds it fun, so it’s now a girl plus Peter day thing. Morgan showing Steve her drawing from daycare, running in with Pepper a bit late. Just the normalcy of the whole situation is such a relief.</p><p>“Oh, I have an announcement to make,” Tony breaks the chaos, clearing his throat. </p><p>“What is it? Don’t say you’re pregnant again, it was bad enough the first time,” Clint whines. </p><p>“Oh shut up, I’ve got two kids, I don’t need more,” Tony rolls his eyes. “No, I’m not pregnant. But there is someone new coming to live here.” </p><p>“Who? Is Dr. Cho moving in?” Bruce asks, perking up from where he was slumped over some beef and broccoli. </p><p>“No. Harley.” </p><p>“Harley?” Peter frowns. Tony never mentioned a Harley to him. </p><p>“Is that the kid who saved your ass a few years ago?” Natasha gives Tony a Look Peter doesn’t understand. </p><p>“Yea. He got into a great school here and I offered to let him live at the tower while he does. It’s a great opportunity for him to get out of Hicksville, Tennessee.” Tony smiles. </p><p>Peter sees through it in an instant. Tony’s lying about something, and the sad look Pepper gives Tony just makes that even more obvious. He knows the others notice it too, or at the very least Nat and Bucky. No one points it out though, respecting Harley’s privacy he guesses. Peter’s going to figure it out though, once they get on their floor. </p><p>If this kid is going to be living with him, without Tony telling him in advance or even just telling him about this other kid he’s apparently known forever, then he deserves to know okay? </p><p>And if he feels just a bit of jealous at it, then that’s his business. </p><p>“Well, we’ll be glad to have him,” Steve says. The others murmur their agreement. Dinner passes by a lot more subdued after than. </p><p>When they get back to their floor, Pepper sends Morgan to her bedroom to get ready for bed, before turning to Peter. </p><p>“We need to talk.” She says. </p><p>“No shit! Who’s this Harley? Why - why didn’t you tell me earlier he was coming? I don’t - is he going to my school, you - you didn’t ask or - or anything and -“</p><p>“Peter,” Tony grabs his hands to stop him from yanking at his hair, leading the way to the couch. “We wanted to tell you, trust me, but things were rushed. It was an emergency, and he needs to get away from his town, so we made plans quick. I’m so sorry kid, I know we should have talked to you first but there just wasn’t enough time.” </p><p>“Why not? What really happened?” Peter bites back tears, trying his best to keep the anger rather than fall apart into anxiety and nerves and fear over someone new coming into his safe place, someone he doesn’t know anything about who’s just going to be interrupting all his routines and everything and - </p><p>He needs to calm down. Take a few deep breaths, just like Lucy taught him. It’ll be okay. It will be. He knows by know that changing routines doesn’t mean it’s the end of the world, it’s just - he just changed things by revealing himself to the public and now this? His home was supposed to be the one constant, but now even that’s going to get ruined? </p><p>“Peter, breathe for me, sweetie. It’s okay,” Pepper whispers, rubbing his back in soothing circles. “It’s okay, I promise. I know it’s going to be difficult, but you’re going to be alright.”</p><p>“Why - why does he have to come here?” Peter clenches his fists in the loose fabric of his sweatpants. “What really happened, dad?” </p><p>“Well…” Tony runs a hand through his hair, sighing. “Someone from school outed him online and the whole town found out. He got jumped on his way to work this morning and hurt really bad. His mom’s real supportive of him, she’s known for a while, but she knew he wouldn’t be safe there. It’s a real homophobic town apparently, and even if he didn’t get jumped again, his school would be hell. So she called me from the hospital after he was rushed there in an ambulance, and I told her he could stay here. Dr. Cho and Happy are taking a jet to go pick him up right now.” </p><p>“Oh.” Peter swallows. He… hadn’t been expecting that. Somehow, it’s even worse than what he expected. He thought maybe his parents died, and that’d be bad, he knows that, even if death has always been an insignificant thing to him. He’s gotten over a lot of things in the five years he’d been free from Hydra, but he still doesn’t quite understand the fear or pain that normal people feel from death and dying. </p><p>But for whatever reason, the thought of this Harley kid having his entire town turn on him for something as simple as being gay just seems so much worse. Especially when his family is still supportive. He’s having to leave his mother, who clearly loves him if she’s at the hospital and making plans to keep him safe because the people he grew up with hate him now. Just for being like Bucky and Steve. </p><p>He knows about prejudice against omega-omega or alpha-alpha couples, he learned about that when MJ started dating an alpha girl and people at school got pissed off about it. But he thought people stopped hating same-gender relationships back in the forties. Steve and Bucky had to hide then, but they don’t now, after all. </p><p>Guess he was wrong. </p><p>Really wrong. </p><p>“What school did he get into? Or… how could he get into something so quickly?” </p><p>“He didn’t, we just didn’t want to have to tell the whole team his business.” Tony shrugs. </p><p>“We were hoping you might be okay with letting him go to Midtown. That way you could keep an eye out for him, and he’d have a familiar face.” Pepper rubs his arm, smiling hopefully. </p><p>“Could he get in?”</p><p>“Oh for sure. He’s another little genius, and god knows I have sway at Midtown. Especially now that everyone will believe you’re my kid.” Tony smirks. </p><p>“Is he… smarter than me?” Peter frowns. He’s not sure why that makes him so nervous. But it does. Tony’s apparently known this kid for a while, but he never told Peter, so what if it’s because Harley’s better than him? And what if when Harley comes here, he won’t want anything to do with Peter anymore?</p><p>“Don’t tell him I said this, but no,” Tony pats his shoulder. “Hard to beat you kid. But he is very smart, and he’ll honestly do great at Midtown. He always complained that his school was too boring. Of course, that’s only if you are okay with him going, there are other tech schools in New York, of course.” </p><p>“I’m… okay with it. Midtown won’t be mean to him about it, not after MJ and I scared them off. Flash might get on his case but not for being gay, just for hanging around us.” </p><p>“Is Flash still bothering you, honey?” Pepper freezes up behind him. </p><p>“No, no, it’s fine mom, I just mean we’re the weird kids, and Flash is still a bully, so that might cause problems. But he stays away from MJ and me so it’s okay.” That’s a lie, but he doesn’t want any more trouble with Flash. </p><p>Unless he goes after Harley. Then he’ll tell his parents and let them cause trouble, because Harley just had his town turn on him, he doesn’t need his new school to hurt him too.</p><p>“Alright. You’ll tell us if he does, right?” Peter nods to that, unable to directly lie to his mom. </p><p>“Sir, Forehead of Security says that they are five minutes from landing and would like directions on where to bring Harley,” Jarvis announces. </p><p>“Shouldn’t he be in the med bay?” </p><p>“Dr. Cho has cleared him for release.”</p><p>“Alright, tell Happy to bring him here then,” Tony says, before turning to Peter. “If you don’t want to meet him right now, you can go to bed, Peter. It’s been a long day, so I understand if you don’t have the energy.” </p><p>“I’m…” Peter looks at the door, stomach rolling. “I’m going to go to my room. I’ll meet him tomorrow?”</p><p>“Sure thing honey.” Pepper gives him a hug and a kiss, followed by Tony. </p><p>“Mommy I’m ready for bed!” Morgan comes bounding down the hall. Peter gets an idea. </p><p>“I’ll read you a story, Morgs, how about that?” Peter scoops her up, grinning. She cheers. </p><p>He’ll meet Harley tomorrow. He’ll be ready then. Just needs time to adjust to this. Right?</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hello hello new chapter is here! Thank you to everyone who's been commenting and giving kudos, they mean the world to me and i'm so grateful for every single one of them!! I hope you enjoy this chapter!! </p><p>TW: I mean there's a small paragraph about Harley's injuries in the aftermath of the attack. not big but thought i'd mention it</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Peter wakes up to the smell of bacon and waffles, his soft blankets heavy on his shoulders in the best of ways. His face is pressed into the soft fur of his giant sleepy bear that he normally uses as a pillow, with his arm wrapped around his Captain America doll. The little bear’s fur is getting a bit matted, and he had to reattach both arms and an ear after bad nightmares caused him to forget his super strength. But he refuses to get a new one. This was the doll that made him trust Pepper and Tony. This was the doll that made him decide to stay. </p><p>He owes a lot to this teddy. </p><p>All in all, it’s a wonderful way to wake up in the morning. </p><p>That is, until he remembers who he has to meet today. </p><p>Peter figures it’s better to get it over with quickly than to let his worries fester and grow, so he rolls out of the comfort of his bed. He debates changing out of his pajamas, but if Harley’s going to be living with them, then he’ll have to get used to Peter’s hello kitty pants and one of Tony’s old MIT shirts that’s too big on him. He’s not intending to change his routines just because there’s someone new here. </p><p>He’s not sure he’d be able to handle that right now. </p><p>“Smells good,” Peter walks into the kitchen, rubbing sleep from his eyes. Tony’s sitting at the counter, staring into a cup of coffee with no awareness of his surroundings at all. Must have been another all-nighter. Pepper’s sipping her coffee and flicking through her Stark Tablet, while a plate of waffles sits in front of her. </p><p>And sitting to her left, must be Harley. He’s… </p><p>Cute. That’s the first thing Peter thinks, which is a better start than instant hatred, really. Harley’s got floppy blonde hair that’s knotted from sleep, and these beautiful blue eyes that latch onto Peter when he speaks. Harley’s shoulders immediately tense up, but from the wince he tries to hide, that doesn’t feel good. </p><p>Peter scans over his injuries, though he’s not sure whether it’s out of concern or because he’s judging the threat level. Stuff like that still gets confusing for him. Harley’s got a mechanic’s broad, filled out shoulders and arms. He certainly looks like he’s strong for a normal seventeen-year-old. But he is injured, with a deep bruise over his cheekbone, a black eye, a broken nose, and bandaged knuckles. From how he holds himself, Peter bets there are a few broken ribs, and there’s the scent of blood still sticking to him. Probably got stabbed. Lower left abdomen, he can smell the metal of stitches from that area. </p><p>Tony and the others hide their injuries so much he’s gotten good at finding hidden wounds. He was good at it before, yes, but it’s only gotten more practice. If he finds Steve hiding one more goddamn concussion, or Clint lying about a broken ankle again, he’s going to lose it. </p><p>“Good morning. I’m Peter,” Peter steps up to Harley, holding his hand out. Harley frowns, hesitantly reaching out to shake it. </p><p>“Harley.” </p><p>“I know.” He smiles. “Are there still waffles?” </p><p>“The blue covered plate on the stove. Steve dropped them off,” Pepper looks up. “Morning sweetie.” </p><p>“Morning mom.” Peter grabs the blue plate, still full of waffles. Steve definitely gave them an extra plate just for Peter. He eats a lot. Metabolism and all. “Have you slept at all, dad?” </p><p>“Hmm?” Tony shakes awake. “Oh, hey Pete. When did you get out here?” </p><p>“Jarvis, don’t let Tony into the lab unless he takes a two-hour long nap at a minimum.” Pepper sips her coffee, not looking up from her tablet. </p><p>“WHAT? Pep! Jarvis, override that!” </p><p>“I am sorry sure, but health directives from Mrs. Pepper cannot be overridden. I’m afraid you’ll just have to sleep, sir.” Jarvis sighs, sarcasm palpable. </p><p>“Pepper….” Tony whines. “Peter tell her to change it!”</p><p>“I’m staying out of this.”</p><p>“Smart.” Pepper stands up, kissing his forehead. “I’ve got to go to the office. Scott and Cassie are coming over for a playdate with Morgan at eleven, so can you make sure she’s ready Pete?” </p><p>“Yep. Have a good day!” Pepper waves as she leaves. </p><p>Harley still has not said anything besides his name. He’s just watching the interactions, a heavy tiredness weighing on his shoulders and a wariness to his eyes. Even when Morgan comes in, asking both Peter and Harley to watch cartoons, he doesn’t say anything. He just lets her take his hand and lead him to the couch. </p><p>It’s not right. </p><p>“Hey Morgs, why don’t you watch your cartoons with dad this morning? I want to show Harley all the cool stuff in the labs,” Peter gives Harley what he hopes is an encouraging smile. “See if you can get daddy to take a nap, please?”</p><p>“Puppy dog eyes?” She blinks her eyes all big, making her trademark pout. </p><p>“Puppy dog eyes for sure. I’ll come back up in a little bit to get you ready for your playdate, alright?”</p><p>“Mkay!” </p><p>“Dad, Harley and I are going to the labs!” Peter calls over his shoulder as he leads Harley to the elevators. He hears a lot of grumbling from behind him, but he just ignores it. <br/>There’s an awkward silence in the elevator, neither of the two knowing how to talk to each other yet. But Peter hates awkward silences, so he fills it with awkward talking. <br/>“<br/>Sorry if you don’t actually want to see the labs, but Tony said you’re a really great mechanic and you looked really uncomfortable with watching cartoons. You don’t have to stay down here, you can just go back to your room, sorry, I should have asked, I just didn’t know how without bothering Morgan and -”</p><p>“It’s fine. Just show me the labs.” Harley snaps. </p><p>“Sure…” The doors open, and Peter takes Harley to their personal labs. “Tony will give you access to this floor if you don’t already have it. You probably do. That’s my workspace over there, please don’t touch anything on it, I don’t like people touching my stuff. If you need the chemicals they’re in the gray cabinet there. That’s Tony’s space, it’s a disaster I know, but he won’t mind you taking some of his tools. The Iron Man suits are behind those doors, we keep them closed away so they don’t get damaged the next time Tony loses control of another laser.” Peter gestures around the room as he shows Harley where various things are. </p><p>“Do I have a place to work?” </p><p>“Oh, yea! Here, we just use this table to heap junk on, so you can set up here! There are also a few other rooms for working with, like, the saws or forges, and one’s got special ventilation for when I have to mix dangerous stuff. I think we have a whole extra lab space that was going to be mine but I prefer working with Tony around. You can use it if you want to be separate from us, I get if you do, but don’t worry Tony turns down his music when I’m here, he knows I’m bad with loud noises and his building is loud enough as is.” </p><p>“Do you ever stop talking?” Harley groans. </p><p>“Sorry,” Peter deflates a bit. “I was just kind of excited, I guess. I’m still nervous about you being here, but at least I get a new lab partner, right?” </p><p>“Don’t worry, I don’t want to be here either. Thanks for the tour, but I’m just going to go back to my room.” Harley barely spares him a look before heading back the way they came. </p><p>He doesn’t leave his room much for the rest of the summer. Won’t even join Avengers dinners or team bonding nights, no matter how much they ask him. </p><p>Peter tries not to feel like it was his fault.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I SWEAR IT GETS BETTER. Next chapter they become closer, pinkie promise. you'll just have to wait until Tuesday ;) What. did you really think that after getting hate crimed by his classmates Harley would be open to friendship real easy? no. realism sucks sometimes. Thank you for reading, and I'll see you Tuesday for the start of the comfort portion of this hurt/comfort fic!</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>And finally, in chapter 5 of an 11 chapter parkner fic, harley stops hating Peter! Woo hoo!! sorry i made yall wait lmao. I hope it's worth it. Let me know what yall think about this chapter bc im actually pretty happy with it and i'm a curious little bunny. Enjoy!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>On the first day of school, everyone swarmed Peter demanding to know about Tony Stark, whether they could get an internship, did he know the Avengers, all these questions that nearly made him break down before he could even get to his first class. He wound up hiding in the special education room for the first two periods before he could brave leaving again, and he only managed to do it then because he had both Ned and MJ in that class and May told him he could come back whenever he needed. </p><p>At lunch, he got mobbed again, but MJ yelled at them all to go away. </p><p>After then, things were fine. People gave him all sorts of awed looks, and sure he still got questions, but it just generally died down over the course of the next week. People realized he was still the nerdy, weird Peter Parker they ignored for the past three years. They moved on to the second biggest news of the semester. </p><p>The new kid. </p><p>They didn’t mob Harley like they had Peter though. Flash had gone up to him the first day, thinking he found another tough, bully alpha to add to his posse. Peter’s not sure where he got that from, really. Sure Harley’s worn leather jacket, combat boots, ripped jeans, and deep scowl marked him as someone you probably shouldn’t annoy. But he was just trying to blend into the back of the room, not make a scene. Flash tried to goad him into mocking Peter for… he’s not even sure honestly. </p><p>He was a bit distracted by Harley slamming Flash’s face into the desk and growling out “leave him alone. And don’t talk to me again.” Thankfully the teacher wasn’t there and Flash didn’t tattle on Harley, or else Peter was worried he’d get detention on his first day.</p><p>For the next three weeks of school… nothing else happened. The omega girls would fawn over Harley, all of them digging the silent bad boy type. Harley never talked to anyone, not even at home, his isolation in his room continuing. He ate lunch in the metalworking shop, never joined clubs or study groups, and just… didn’t talk to anyone. </p><p>It was worrying Tony and Pepper to no end. It was worrying Peter too really. He didn’t want Harley to feel so alone here. Sure, he could guess why Harley was isolating, he probably was finding it hard to trust anyone again, especially peers, but he didn’t think that was a good enough reason. Worry over Harley had Tony getting nightmares and pulling his old 72 hours awake sessions again. </p><p>Something had to change. </p><p>“Hey guys, I’m going to eat with Harley today,” Peter announces to his friends during third period. </p><p>“He’s made it pretty clear he doesn’t want to talk with us, Peter.” Ned frowns. </p><p>“I didn’t say I was inviting him to eat with us. I’m joining him in the metal shop.”</p><p>“Did he agree to this?” MJ glances up from her sketchpad. </p><p>“I’m not giving him a choice.”</p><p>“Good.” </p><p>With MJ and Ned’s approval, he skips the cafeteria and heads down to the metal shop a few periods later. Harley’s backpack and lunch are abandoned on one of the tables, sandwich untouched in his lunch sack. Harley himself is listening to music over headphones as he works in the back with a welding iron, one of the old, slightly rusted ones the school has. Tony has better ones, Peter knows, but Harley’s still working here, rather than at the lab. </p><p>“You know, Tony’s got better equipment,” Peter says once the fire is off. Harley jumps, slamming up his face mask and pushing off his headphones to glare at Peter. </p><p>“I’m aware.” </p><p>“So why are you working here?” </p><p>“Why do you care? Why are you here - get out!” Harley cries. </p><p>“Nope! What are you working on that you can’t work on at home?” Peter opens his lunch, munching on his sandwich…es. Sandwiches, plural. They ran out of protein bars so he’s stuck shoving down three sandwiches for lunch to keep up his energy. It’s annoying. He’s getting so sick of turkey. </p><p>“It’s none of your business Parker!” </p><p>“I’m making it my business.”</p><p>“That’s not how it works!”</p><p>“Is now.” He’s been trained in the arts of annoying by a five-year-old. He’s gotten quite good at it. </p><p>“No! Get the hell out, Parker, seriously! Can’t you tell when a guy wants to be alone?” Harley stomps over to where Peter’s eating. He hops off the stool, rushing forward, under Harley’s arm, to get up close to whatever he was welding. </p><p>“It’s a… an Iron Man chest plate.” Peter frowns. He’d recognize the design anywhere. Different mach, closer to the first one than any of the actually good suits Tony’s got now. Probably the best Harley could do with the materials around here. It’s not even the right alloy. </p><p>“If you wear this you’re going to ice over, you know.” Peter frowns. “Also, I can think of at least ten different ways this could be better just now. Make it eleven…. Twelve…”</p><p>“Okay, okay, I got it alright! Listen, just go away, please,” Harley’s all but begging, but Peter doesn’t listen. Instead, he flips over the plate, getting closer to see the port for the arc reactor. The wiring isn’t in yet, just the framework right now, but he can already see problems with it. </p><p>“The port’s dented, you’re going to get sparks that could fry the suit. Or you.” </p><p>“Damn it I know! Get away!” Harley grabs his shoulder, yanking him away. “It’s still hot, you’re going to get hurt.” </p><p>“Hmm?” Peter glances down at his hands, which, yep, are blistered from the still cooling metal. “Oh, yea. It’s fine.”</p><p>“That’s not fine, you need to go to the nurse! Jesus fuck, Tony’s going to kill me,” Harley presses his hands to his face, the muffled sob clear, even if Peter didn’t have heightened hearing. </p><p>“Why are you building an Iron Man suit?” Peter asks. </p><p>“It’s stupid.” Harley mumbles. </p><p>“No, stupid is Bucky in Steve’s showgirl thing because he lost a bet with Sam. Building an Iron Man suit isn’t stupid. Although... trying to build it in here instead of the multimillion-dollar lab you have complete access to is stupid though...” </p><p>“Did he really wear it? Tights and all?” Harley snorts, moving his hands slightly. Peter can still see the tears on his cheeks.</p><p>“I’ll show you the video if you tell me why you’re making a suit.” Peter grins. </p><p>“Fine…” Harley sighs, turning around to sit by his lunch. Peter follows, digging into his second sandwich. “I… I assume Tony told you why I came here?”</p><p>“Yep. Your town sounds awful, and not just because of cow shit.” Peter frowns. “Though cow shit is pretty bad.” </p><p>Harley snorts. “It’s not bad once you get used to it… but… I guess…” He lets out a frustrated sigh. “I just want a way to be able to protect myself! In case it… if it happens again. You know? I don’t want to feel that fucking defenseless again. I cant.” Harley’s voice cracks at the end. He won’t look at Peter.  </p><p>“Makes sense. Though I would suggest something smaller than a full suit then, so you can carry it with you all the time. Gauntlet watch maybe? Or nanobots. A clunky suit like that’s not going to be enough if you get jumped again. It's not fast enough.” </p><p>“I know.” Harley groans, rubbing his temples. “I just didn’t… I don’t want Tony knowin’, okay? He’s going to get all concerned and mother hen me and I don’t want that. I’ve got that enough with mama calling me every day and textin’ every hour, and he’s bad enough thinking I don’t have friends right now.”</p><p>“Do you have friends?” Peter raises an eyebrow in challenge. </p><p>“Well….” </p><p>“Didn’t think so.” </p><p>“Fuck you, Parker.” Harley scowls. It’s not as mean as his normal one is. </p><p>“How about tomorrow you come join MJ, Ned, and I for lunch then? Get Tony off your ass a little. They’re chill, and no one will bother you if you’re with us. If you want we can sit with Mary in the special ed room if you really want to avoid the cafeteria.” </p><p>“You are a special ed kid then? I thought that was just a rumor Flash made up.” </p><p>“Is there a problem with that?” Peter narrows his eyes. </p><p>“Nah, just curious.” Harley shrugs. “Are you going to tell Tony?” </p><p>“I won’t tell him. If you promise to start working in the lab instead of here.” </p><p>“He won’t want me makin’ a suit.” Harley frowns. "I know, I asked him if I could. He says I'm not ready for one."</p><p>“But he doesn’t have to know, now does he?” Peter gets a devious grin. “There’s the extra lab we can work on it in. I can steal one of Tony’s old designs and we can build it to your specs. We can tell Tony you just want some privacy, he’ll just be happy you’re out of your room. And we can whip you up a gauntlet, keep you safe while the suit gets to you and all… But you have to let me help okay? The only person who knows the suits better than Tony is me.” </p><p>“Fine.” Harley gives in. “Can we use the Mach 42 design?”</p><p>“That’s not the newest.” Peter frowns. “Why that one?”</p><p>“Sentimental value, let’s say,” Harley smirks a little. Oh.</p><p>“You know I still don’t know how you met Tony. Any chance it has to do with Mach 42?” Peter asks. </p><p>“He broke into my garage wearing a poncho from a wooden Indian, I threatened him with a potato gun, and he tore up half my town when these glowing asshats attacked.”</p><p>“Oh so a normal Tuesday for him then.” Peter nods. Harley laughs. It’s a very nice sound. Peter decides he likes happy Harley a lot better than angry Harley. </p><p>“Somethin’ like that.” The bell rings for the next period class. </p><p>“See you after school?” </p><p>“Sure… Hey, Peter?” Peter pauses at the door to look back at Harley. “Thanks.”</p><p>“What are friends for?” </p><p>“Oh we’re friends now?”</p><p>“I’ll consider it.” Peter gives him a wink, before heading to class. He probably should get his fingers wrapped though. Holding a pencil is going to be annoying for the next hour, and Ms. Purl has such long lectures… Fine. Nurse it is. </p><p>And after school, the fun will begin.</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hey there folks! Pretty sure I forgot to post friday, but I was leaving for a weekend road trip that afternoon, so i have an excuse. Sorry. Hopefully, this makes up for it? On a side note, for how much i love ABO fics, im not that great at writing them if they aren't the main focus of the story.... i think i bring it up like, five times total since the first fic in this series. whoops? idk sorry if you were really excited about that part of this, its so minor that while i was writing i debated just... taking it out? but id already started posting and... yea... my bad. Tho i can do better i swear, i have a TUA abo fic that's much better if you're interested! Anyways enough rambling, onto the chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Harley and Peter start working in the lab together, much to Tony’s joy and distress. On one hand, he cries the first time he goes in to see Harley and Peter hunched over a repulsor watch, adjusting the settings for a… less deadly approach lets say. Peter makes sure Jarvis adds it to the Tony Stark is A Softie file. </p><p>On the other hand, he freaked out when Harley throws an oily towel at Peter’s face and it falls onto his soldering iron, lighting up spectacularly. He’d run down after getting an alert from Jarvis that Peter got burned, only to find the two of them throwing foam at each other after they both got doused by Dum-E. It was great. </p><p>They work on a lot of things together, improving intern prototypes or building full-sized models, improving or fixing whatever Pepper or Tony dump on their desk for the company, and Peter’s personal favorite project - a real-life Bay-Max. Harley was so excited to help him with that and his official title as Tony Stark’s personal intern, that he almost forgot to build the suit too. </p><p>Peter didn’t forget though. Harley wanted to feel safe, and so he would. So when Tony is out of the lab, he makes a secret copy of the Mark 42 schematics and starts to edit them.<br/>Once he’s done with that, he reminds Harley of the whole thing. After that, Harley spends most of his down time building the actual thing, Peter helping where needed, of course. </p><p>Mostly though, Peter worked on programming the bare bones of the code, which the AI Harley says he’s already got ready to go will work with to run it. </p><p>And double and triple-checking his math and adjustments to the specs. He wants it to have a quicker deployment when called, smoother mobility, and making it easier to take on and off. For whatever reason, Tony had been way less concerned with that then he should have been for the first years, needing robots with screwdrivers to take it off unless in an emergency eject situation. It was stupid. </p><p>“Does he really not have a defibrillator in here? He made this suit after New York, he puts a defibrillator in all of them now, why isn’t there one here?” Peter scows at the plans on the hologram in front of him. </p><p>“Well, it’s meant to be in pieces, there probably wasn’t room,” Harley shrugs. “Can you grab me the wrench? 1/16ths.” </p><p>“We have a robot for that.” </p><p>“Yea, in the other room. Tony would definitely notice if we stole Dum-E. Please, sweetheart?” Peter groans, marching over to the toolbox and grabbing the right wrench. Harley wheels out from under the vintage car he’s been repairing as they wait for Peter to figure out how to steal an arc reactor from Tony. Harley says it’s a hobby. </p><p>Peter still thinks its a waste of time. When’s he going to use it? It’s New York City! Maybe it’s a “hobby” but it just annoys him. </p><p>“Here’s your stupid screwdriver,” Peter hands Harley the tool.</p><p>“It’s a wrench,” he snorts, taking the wrench, “And I know you knew that, darlin’.” </p><p>“Maybe. Why do you keep calling me sweetheart and darling though?” Harley’s really close right now. Like, really close, and calling him these pet names that… well don’t make him uncomfortable but… make him feel something. And he’s wearing just a greasy tank top and he’s sweaty from being in the tight space under the car and Peter gets hit with his scent and…. </p><p>He hadn’t realized Harley’s scent was so nice. Like… like the sweetgrass field Peter had to hide in for six hours for that one mission years ago, both him and the grass baking in the sun, and the - and that farm everyone went to, all the Avengers and MJ and Ned and Happy and everyone went to last October to pick pumpkins and take the hayride through the orchard in the crisp fall air… Harley’s scent is like perfect Halloween nights and summer picnics in the field and… </p><p>“I like seeing you blush,” Harley smirks, patting his cheek. “You’ve got a cute one, hon’.” </p><p>“Oh fu-fuck off,” Peter flushes deeper, which just gets Harley laughing, which makes him blush more, and yep, he needs to back out of this situation.</p><p>“You stink, you know.” He all but runs back to his workstation, scowling at Harley. From his laugh, it’s not doing a great job of deflecting. Ass. </p><p>“Gee thanks.” Harley rolls his eyes. “Why would I need a defibrillator anyways?” </p><p>“Cover all your bases.” Peter shrugs.</p><p>“Smart guys always cover our asses,” Harley mutters. </p><p>“You’re smart?”</p><p>“You heard that?” Whoops. Sometimes he’s a bad judge of what normal people should be able to hear, and he’s not wearing his earbuds right now. “Also, hey!” </p><p>“I’m adding defibrillators.” Peter decides, walking over to the suit laid out in pieces on a side table to find the chest piece. </p><p>“Suit yourself.”</p><p>“Ha, ha.” </p><p>“That was not intentional, I swear.” </p><p>“Mmhm, totally, yep.” </p><p>Peter gets a wrench thrown at his head for that. Wait, no, that one was actually a screwdriver. Rude.</p><p>He adds the defibrillators. And a parachute. And any other safety measures he can think to add. It doesn’t matter if they take up room because the point of the suit isn’t to fight, it’s to keep Harley safe and… </p><p>He needs Harley to stay safe.</p><p>Finally, two weeks and three days exactly after they started their secret project, the new (and improved, but don’t tell Tony that) Mark 42 is ready to go. It would have been done a week ago, but it was a pain in the ass to sneak an arc reactor from Tony without him noticing. He keeps those tightly locked and Jarvis will only release the lock if he or Pepper says to. It took a lot of reprogramming for Peter to get around that. </p><p>“I still can’t believe you managed to hack Jarvis. Can’t he actively fight hackers?” Harley shakes his head, failing to hide his awe at the little reactor. “The last time I saw one of these, it was buried in Tony Stark’s chest.” </p><p>“What can I say, I’m good.” Peter grins. “The one you saw him with is now sitting on the bookshelf in the common room, you know. Pepper switched it out for the old palladium one because she hated looking at the thing that almost killed her mate without her knowing.” </p><p>“They weren’t mates then.” Harley raises an eyebrow.</p><p>“Still bothers her. So now it’s the last one that was in his chest instead of the first.” </p><p>“Makes sense. I think.” Harley frowns. “I guess I just don’t hold much stock in mates, really.” He practically spits that last word. There is definitely a story there. Peter’s not sure what it is, but he’ll figure it out.</p><p>“Time to put it in? See if it works?” </p><p>“Sure.” Harley takes a shaky breath, before gently pressing the arc reactor into the suit port. It takes a beat for it to lock, but then the suit slowly whirs to life, gears clicking and shifting into place, plates sliding open to allow for a pilot. No one breathes for a few seconds once it’s clicked open, both Harley and Peter holding their breaths, waiting for an explosion or for it to fall apart or - or something. </p><p>In the end, it’s Tony who breaks the silence. </p><p>“Not that I’m not proud of you two for managing this, but what the fuck are you doing building a suit? Without telling me?” Peter and Harley jerk around, now frozen for an entirely different reason as they stare at one Tony Stark, leaning against a table with his arms crossed and a slight frown on his face. “And why is it silver?”</p><p>“I uh - I didn’t - I - I’m sorry, I didn’t mean - fuck, please don’t kick me out, I’m sorry I - “ Tony holds up his hand to stop Harley’s rambling. </p><p>“Pete?” </p><p>“Harley wanted to feel like he could protect himself if he got attacked again but he didn’t want your mother henning or worrying more than you already have been about him. He was building one at school but he didn’t have the right supplies so I made him work here with me so he wouldn’t have, you know, a dented port,” Peter side eyes Harley.</p><p>“I was going to fix it!” Harley groans, smirking just a little. Peter had been making fun of him for that for the past two weeks. It’s been very entertaining. </p><p>“Oh, and it’s red and silver because red and gold is your thing.” Peter adds. </p><p>“Harley… I wouldn’t have stopped you from making a damn suit,” Tony sighs, rubbing his face. “You know that right?”</p><p>“I know, I just… I don’t know. I thought you’d… I don’t know,” Harley glares down at the floor, crossing his arms. “I didn’t want you to think I was weak or something.” </p><p>“Harles. I use the suits.” Tony gives him an unamused look. It snaps the tension, Harley letting out a snort, that turns to giggles, that turns to Peter giggling and Tony sighing. <br/>“Kid, I just want you to be happy here. If you need a suit on call, then I’m okay with that. If you want a repulsor watch, I’m okay with that too. Just talk to me rather than hack my AI next time?”</p><p>“That was me, actually,” Peter winces. </p><p>“I know,” Tony side eyes him. “I can’t tell whether to be proud of you or deeply annoyed.” </p><p>“Both is good?” </p><p>“You’re lucky you’re cute.” Tony snorts, ruffling his hair. “And you…” He turns to Harley, a stern look in his eyes. “Don’t you ever think I’m going to kick you out for doing something stupid. You’re a kid, of course, you’re going to hide stuff from me and make bad or dumb decisions. I’m not going to kick you out for them, ever, alright? I might call Macy for permission to ground you, but that’s about it.” </p><p>“Am I grounded?” Harley raises an eyebrow. </p><p>“For this? No, kid, wanting to protect yourself isn’t grounding material. Hacking my AI might be, but grounding you doesn’t work, now does it Peter?” Tony glares a little at Peter, who just gives him a big, cheeky grin. Tony tried grounding Peter two years ago, after he got in a big fight with a guy who was stalking Betty’s older sister at her college. He went after her with a knife while Peter was nearby, so he swung over and stopped him, and nearly killed the guy because he lost control over his strength.</p><p>When Tony grounded him after it, Peter just opened a window and crawled down the side of the tower to go see Betty’s sister in the hospital and make sure she was okay. She was, but Tony wasn’t when he saw the footage of Peter climbing down from the 108th floor with no ropes at all. </p><p>Tony doesn’t ground him anymore. Says he can’t take the stress. </p><p>Peter still doesn’t regret anything, and Tony made it clear that he wasn’t being grounded for helping, but for nearly killing the guy. He’s not allowed to kill people anymore, even if they are bad. which is so not fair. Bucky and Nat still get to kill bad people! </p><p>Pouting about not being able to kill bad people is probably another thing to add to the “distorted thinking” list Lucy has. He’ll tell her Thursday when he sees her. </p><p>“Why doesn’t Peter get grounded?” Harley frowns. </p><p>“No reason.” Tony blurts. He’s rather bad at lying to people he cares about. “Now, both of you, out of the lab.”</p><p>“What? Why?” Peter whines. “We still need to upload the AI!” </p><p>“Wait you made an AI?” </p><p>“Yea, years ago.” Harley blushes. “They’ve just been in this silly little robot since Rose Hill, I was pretty excited to finally give them a cool body.” </p><p>“Why’d you make a little robot AI friend again?” </p><p>“Didn’t exactly have a lot of friends, Tony. You know, being the weird nerd in a school full of dumbasses.” Harley drawls. </p><p>“Alright, you can upload your AI,” Tony sighs. “But then out of the lab. Consider that your punishment.” </p><p>“Tony you’re bad at punishments.” Harley shakes his head, turning to the computer to plug in the black hard drive that had been sitting on the desk. Peter had met the AI, Worm, already, in the cute robot Harley had for him, but he was excited to see this happen. </p><p>He’s still not sure why Harley named his AI Worm. It wasn’t an acronym. Just a fourteen-year-old boy’s humor, really. </p><p>It takes two minutes for Worm to boot up on the suit, and then… </p><p>“This is much cooler than the robot.” A mellow voice with a warm Southern accent only slightly stronger than Harley’s sounds out from the new suit. </p><p>“It works!” Peter laughs. </p><p>“Sup shit face, finally going to stop yelling at me for an upgrade?” Harley snorts. </p><p>“Only if you promise to finally oil my joints, potato boy.” Worm says. Apparently, Harley programmed his AI to be even sassier than Jarvis. Peter’s not sure why he’s surprised, especially if Worm was meant to be a friend. </p><p>He finds it very sad that Harley had to make an artificial friend for himself. He knows how awful that feels. How alone and empty and hurt you feel when you’re left alone like that. He knows it, probably better than anyone. </p><p>Peter decides then and there that Harley is never going to feel that alone again.</p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Chapter 7</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello folks, time for your regularly scheduled 'Peter needs to read a romance book' oblivious dorks! they get worse, because of course they do. Also, i feel the need to mention that I, the overachiever that i am, tried to cram too many ideas into this fic because i have no self-control, and had attempted to do a social media aspect to this fic. the transcript in chapter three was the only bit that didnt get cut because, go figure, trying to work that in wasn't working. all this to say, the end of this chapter is a bit wonky because there was supposed to be a full social media bit there that i wanted oh so badly to be in there even though it didn't fit, and so i shoehorned it in. So uh. yea. Enjoy! </p><p>TW: Harley is angry over his bullshit homophobic town.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Here you go,” Peter sits down next to Harley on the roof, two gallons of triple fudge Hawkeye themed ice cream in hand. All the Avengers have an ice cream themed after them, some stupid idea of Pepper’s PR team after a bad mission or whatever. Hulk got mint, Nat got strawberry, Steve got butter pecan, Thor got cookie dough, and so on. Much to Sam’s annoyance, Clint’s chocolate is much better than his rocky road. </p><p>Bucky is still sulking that they didn’t give him a flavor. </p><p>“Thanks… How’d you know I’m up here?” Harley frowns, taking the ice cream, the spoon stuck in the top. </p><p>“Jarvis ratted on you.” Peter shrugs. “You just made your own Iron Man suit, Harley, you should be celebrating, not moping. What’s wrong?” </p><p>“Who says I’m moping?” </p><p>“People only come to the roof for three reasons. One, moping. Two, brooding. Three, fucking behind the greenhouse where they think no one will hear them.” </p><p>“That’s disgusting.” Harley wrinkles his nose. </p><p>“Yea, don’t come up here directly after intern work hours or lunchtime, trust me.” </p><p>“Noted.” There’s a few beats of silence as they start eating the ice cream. </p><p>“Hey, Peter? Can I ask you a question? You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.” </p><p>“Sure.” Peter frowns. What kind of question would Harley have that he wouldn’t want to answer? There’s no way he knows about the Big Stuff, and even if he did ask about it, Peter’s pretty sure he’d answer. He talked about it with Lucy last week, when telling her about how he and Harley were getting along a lot better now and were actually talking and joking and he was sitting with MJ, Ned, and him at lunch. </p><p>She’d asked him if he’d be willing to tell Harley about Hydra and his abilities like he’d told MJ and Ned before the press conference. </p><p>He decided he would be. He likes Harley, a lot. Harley’s so fun and easy to talk to and so… so comforting and nice and… Peter would be okay with him knowing. He doubts Harley would be mean about it. He’s not the type. </p><p>“If you could go home and your parents were alive again and you could have that old life back… would you take it?” Harley holds his ice cream, looking out over the skyline.</p><p>Oh. Right, that’s his cover story, that Harley believes, and… Peter doesn’t know how to respond to that. If he knew what Harley was looking for… how’s he supposed to answer a question that’s entirely wrong? Harley shouldn’t be asking if he’d want to go back to his parents, but if he’d want to go back to Hydra. </p><p>He doesn’t want to tell him the wrong thing, or get his hopes up or… or lie to him. Lying to Harley just feels so wrong, especially when it’s clear he’s trying to work through something right now. Does he say he wouldn’t, to make Harley feel happy here? Or does he say he would? Would a normal person say they would? God, he doesn’t know. No one’s asked him this question before. </p><p>“You don’t have to answer, darlin’, it’s okay.” Harley hurries to say when Peter’s quiet for too long. </p><p>“No, no it’s okay I just… never thought about it before,” Peter takes a deep breath. Does he tell Harley the truth? No, it’s not the right time. Not when he’s clearly upset. He should… </p><p>“Things weren’t good for me before Tony saved me. I… my parents…” </p><p>Peter remembers the Doctor, her arms circling his neck, the way she purred into his ear when she realized he was presenting, how she was so eager to - to try those tests. How dirty and wrong it’d felt. </p><p>He remembers his Handler, how he'd strap him into the chair with a grin, how he’d use Peter’s heightened senses against him by playing loud screeching noises into his room whenever he was bad. How his Handler would pit him against people he couldn’t defeat when he was as old as Morgan, watching him get beaten with a bored look. He remembers his first time killing someone, just barely four years old, the terror on her face, and the gleam in his Handler’s eyes as Peter slit her throat. She was his age. Another Subject in the Spider Program, someone he used to train with, room with. But she’d broken her spine in training and her healing ability wasn’t as strong as his so she - she couldn’t regain feeling. His Handler made him put her down. </p><p>“My parents were cruel. They didn’t give a damn about me, just what I could do for them. I would never go back. I never will.” Peter growls. The spoon snaps in his grip, but he barely notices it. “I don’t care if they are alive or not, I’m not going back.” </p><p>“Are… are they still alive?” Harley gives him a confused look.</p><p> Shit. He was talking in the present, wasn’t he?</p><p>“No, I just - I was just - I just was thinking about it and got - I don’t know I guess I got too into it? Never mind, ignore it just - why do you ask?” Peter flushes, shoving ice cream into his mouth before he keeps making a fool of himself. For all his training you’d think he’d be a better liar, and he is, really, just… </p><p>Not to people he doesn’t actually want to lie to. He needs to stop taking lessons from Tony…</p><p>“I don’t know. Just thinking about home, I guess. I’m… I’m really homesick. All the fucking time. Just - there’s no green here, and there’s always so much noise and lights and people and I - I want to go home, you know? But… at the same time, I don’t want to go back to how it had been. Having to pretend to be someone I’m not and hearing everyone mocking gay people and using slurs and saying we’re going to hell, even though I’m one of them! It was so fucking hard! But I was so close to just leaving for college and no one had to know and… and then fucking Jeremy had to post it on the class page like the little piece of shit he is!” Harley hits the cement of the roof, a strangled scream catching in his throat. “I hate it! I hate everything right now and I don’t know what to fucking do about it!” </p><p>“Do you hate me?” </p><p>“Huh?” Harley pauses, hand fist half raised to punch the ground again.</p><p>“Do you hate me?” </p><p>“I… no? Why would I hate you? You’re amazing, sweetheart.” </p><p>“Well thanks.” He blushes. “Do you hate the ice cream?” </p><p>“I mean, I don’t hate it. It’s not my favorite though. Where are you going with this?” </p><p>“Well, I can’t fix the fact that your town is full of bastards. I can’t go back in time to make this Jeremy prick not out you, and I can’t fix the fact that New York City is, you know, a city. Though if you asked dad to take you to the country for a trip he’d say yes, you know. And I can’t do anything about the homesickness.” Peter jumps up onto his feet. “But I can do something about that ice cream, and I can give you something that you don’t have to hate here. So what kind of ice cream do you like?” </p><p>“I…” Harley shakes his head, laughing a little. He stands up too, looking at Peter with a fond smile. “Butter Pecan. I like butter pecan.” </p><p>“Well, Steve will love to hear that. Come on.” Peter nods to the door. “We’ve got sprinkles and whipped cream and chocolate sauce. Unless Clint ate it all again. Maybe we can watch a movie too, if you want?”</p><p>“You know what? A movie sounds good.” Harley laughs again, only this time, its a real one. “You’re something else, you know that darlin’?”</p><p>“Is that a compliment? I’m going to take that as a compliment.”</p><p>“You should.” </p><p> </p><p>--</p><p> </p><p>Later, when they are watching Frozen after Morgan cornered them, Peter gets a text from his Auntie Nat. </p><p>“I hate you.” Peter glares down at his phone on the couch, the Instagram photo Nat sent him lighting up the screen. Harley has, apparently, been posting multiple photos of the two of them working, with a string of comments below speculating about them dating. He’d replied to one of them with a wink, which is what got Nat to send it to him asking “anything you’d like to tell me?” </p><p>He really needs to get an Instagram apparently…</p><p>“Just having some fun with the internet.”</p><p>“But why?” Peter groans. </p><p>“Come on, the rumors abound! Might as well give them something to work with. It’s funny, you should see the edits of us.”</p><p>“Why didn’t you ask before posting any of these?” </p><p>“They’re just us goofing off.” Harley frowns. “Anyways, you saying you wouldn’t date me?” Harley raises an eyebrow, crossing his arms. </p><p>“I didn’t say that…” Peter’s flush travels all the way down his chest and he knows that Harley can tell. </p><p>“I won’t tease them again if you don’t want me to. Or post anymore photos.” Harley says hesitantly. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, Pete.”</p><p>“No - no, it’s - it’s fine.” </p><p>“Shut up and watch the movie!” Morgan whines. Peter’s thankful for the distraction. </p><p>He’s going to try not to overthink this… </p><p>But he definitely will.</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Chapter 8</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I honestly had a ton of fun writing this chapter, just because i love the trope of "oblivious character needs someone else to tell them they have a crush bc they dont get it" thing. its just funny to me ok? this is a short chapter, but that's just because the fun starts in the next one. well fun for me, probably wont be fun for you guys :33 Anyways, enjoy Peter finally getting his head out of his ass.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The more they worked together, the closer Peter and Harley got. They now had inside jokes (goats man. Just goats.) and shared stories and teased each other and shared their favorite memes. Harley joined MJ, Ned and him at lunch, fitting easily into their group and joining them for game nights and sleepovers and… </p><p>It was great. Really, really great. </p><p>Harley smiled now. And every time he did, a spark of nausea lit in Peter’s stomach. He hadn’t figured out why, but he would. Today. </p><p>“Uncle Steve? Bucky?” Peter ducked his head out of the elevator where it’d stopped on the floor. Jarvis said they weren’t busy, or busy busy, but you could never be too sure.</p><p>“Hey Pete, what’s up?” Bucky looks up from the couch, a book on his lap and Summer laying on the ground by his side. She’s a beautiful chocolate lab, that Tony got for him a year ago when Bucky’s PTSD started getting really bad again. Some new files were leaked about certain people the Winter Soldier killed, and the media was going wild. They wanted to arrest him, again. It was such a mess, but Summer really helped him through the rounds of testifying and interrogations he had to go through. Again.</p><p>It took a lot of convincing to talk down Peter and Steve from going after the people harassing Bucky, and even then Peter may or may not have left threats in their rooms…</p><p>Steve comes out of the kitchen, wiping his hands on a towel. Peter can smell cheese and tomato sauce and pasta cooking in the oven. Guess it’s lasagna for dinner. Steve makes the best lasagna, though the recipe is from Tony’s mom. Tony’s just useless at cooking. </p><p>“Can I talk to you two about something?” </p><p>“Sure. Is everything okay?” Steve frowns, leading Peter over to the couches. Bucky moves his legs to let his mate sit down, snuggling up close against him. They are very, very cute. It makes something in Peter’s chest ache, and he doesn’t know why.</p><p>“Yea, everything’s fine, I just… I don’t know. I wanted to talk about Harley, I guess?” </p><p>“Is everything okay with him? I thought you two were getting along better? Making the suit and the twitter nonsense you two are doing and all,” Steve asks. </p><p>“Do I need to get out the knives?” Bucky says. Steve gives his flesh arm a wack and a disapproving look. “What?” </p><p>“I’ve got my own knives, but thanks, Bucky.” Peter snorts. “No we’re great. He’s great, so great, and hanging out with him is so fun and he’s so funny and - and it’s great.”</p><p>“So what’s the problem?” Steve and Bucky share a look. Like they know something he doesn’t. He hates that. </p><p>“I just… something’s… wrong, I think? Every time I see him my stomach gets all flippy and I get hot and start blushing and he - he smells so good and nice and I don’t - I don’t know what it is or why I - why I just want to be around him and hold his hand and make him smile and - Why are you two laughing at me? What’s so funny?” Peter scowls at the two super soldiers, who are trying (and failing. Badly.) to hide their laughter behind their hands. </p><p>“Have we really been so bad at this that we forgot to teach you about crushes and dating?” Bucky snorts. </p><p>“No! I know about crushes and dating! Of course I do, Ned constantly talks about Betty and MJ and Shuri have been dating since junior year. I’m not stupid. But Harley’s just a friend.” Peter pouts. </p><p>“Pete, have your friends ever explained what their crushes felt like though?” Steve asks, laughing a little less now. </p><p>“I mean, they just spend the whole time talking about how wonderful and amazing their crush is and how much they want to kiss them and stuff. And they get all flustered when you tease them about it. What are you getting at? Harley’s a friend.” </p><p>“Oh, I don’t think so, kid. I think you’ve got a crush,” Bucky shakes his head. “Like… tell me if this sounds familiar. Every time he walks into the room your attention goes right to him. Every time he talks you get butterflies in your stomach. Every time he smiles at you or laughs at your joke you feel like you can’t breathe a little because he looks so beautiful. Whenever he’s too close your hands get all sweaty and you start panicking because he’s right there, and every time you touch, even just a little, it feels like your heart’s going to stop. Know about any of that?” </p><p>“I…” Peter lets out a whine in the back of his throat. “Maybe? Yes?” </p><p>“You steal his sweatshirts too, right Peter?” Steve nods to the one he’s wearing right now, a Rose Hill football one that’s clearly Harley’s. “Why?”</p><p>“I like his scent,” he says immediately. “It’s… it’s really comforting, to be surrounded by it and it - it calms me down and just… feels right? Or - or good? I don’t know… it doesn’t feel right, when his scents not on me…That’s weird, right?”</p><p>“Not at all,” Steve assures him, at the same time that Bucky laughs out, “Oh man, we’ve hit that huh?”</p><p>“We’ve hit what?” He whines, feeling annoyingly like a petulant child. He hates being left out of the loop… “Tell me!” </p><p>“Ignore Bucky, Peter, he’s being stupid,” Steve glares down at his mate, who just laughs more. “You’ve got a crush on Harley. That’s why you’re feeling like this.” </p><p>“No, no, I don’t, I definitely don’t I - I…” Peter groans, hiding his face in his hands. “I… I do.”</p><p>“Yep.”</p><p>“What do I do about it though?” </p><p>“You could do nothing, spend some time thinking about it… or… you could ask him out and tell him that you like him.” Steve shrugs. “I think you should take some time to process it though. Just… think about what you’d want from a relationship and talk to Lucy about it.” </p><p>“Okay…” Peter tries to take a deep breath. “Th…thanks guys? I think?”</p><p>“You’re welcome.” Steve gives him a smile. </p><p>“Good luck!” Bucky gives him a wave as he heads back to the elevator. </p><p>Right before the doors close, he can hear Bucky say to Steve, “feel like betting…”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>"EVERYTIME WE TOUCH IT FEELS LIKE MAGIC  /   EVERY TIME WE KISS I SWEAR I COULD FLYY"  sorry sorry i just had to</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Chapter 9</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>you've been predicting it, and now I shall deliver. I hope this lives up to your expectations! Also sorry for being a day late, i was totally not binging all of the umbrella academy season two yesterday nope definitely not doing that...</p><p>Tw: Uh... death, guns, sexual harassment of a minor, sedation, idk hydra gets peter and it goes about as well as can be expected okay.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Peter wakes up with slowly, his head heavy, stuffed full of cotton so much his thoughts take a moment to catch up with him. He never wakes up like this, not unless he’s sick. But he’s not sick, he was… </p><p>He was with Harley. Walking back from Central Park. Harley wanted to see green, so Peter had brought him. They climbed out of the subway station and things went dark and something pricked his neck. Had to have been a drug, something fast-acting and strong enough to fight against Peter’s heightened metabolism. He was so distracted by Harley’s eager explanation of a town fair he must not have noticed his spider-sense and - </p><p>Oh fuck. The only people who had a drug strong enough to sedate Peter was - was - </p><p>“Hello there, little spider,” a voice he’s only heard in his nightmares for years purrs, a sharp nail under his chin forcing him to look up. He opens his eyes because of course, she’d know he was faking unconsciousness, she knows everything about him and - </p><p>“Doctor.” He croaks. He’s not sure if his throat is so dry and scratchy because of whatever she drugged him with or because of fear. </p><p>“So you do remember who made you,” the Doctor speaks in German, just like she always has with him. Her red lips split into a grin, chilling Peter to the core. “Good. We were worried you’d forget who owned you while you were playing house with the Avengers.” </p><p>“You - you - no…” Peter’s voice cracks. It’s… why can’t he fight back? Why can’t he - why can’t he stop her from running her hands through his hair, pushing his head back and pressing her fingers into the scent gland on his neck so hard it - so hard he has to stifle back a scream. Her nails dig into it, into his neck and they are so sharp he can feel blood beading on his skin </p><p>“You know, I was going to cut this out for you. Then you’d never have to be attached to anyone. You’d be our little pet, forever, just like you were meant to. But then those fucking Avengers had to steal my little spider and make you something you’re not. You’re mine, Spider. You’ve always been mine. I made you what you are today. I gave you everything. And you repaid me, by leaving? By betraying Hydra? Did you ever think you could really escape us?” </p><p>Peter opens his mouth, tries to say something, tries to struggle as she licks a tear of his cheek but he’s - he’s frozen. She doesn’t like it when he talks. He’s not supposed to fight back. He’s their - their -</p><p>No. No, he’s not. He’s Peter Benjamin Parker, he’s Tony Stark and Pepper Potts’ son. The Avengers are his family, he has friends, he doesn’t have to listen to her anymore! Hydra doesn’t own him.</p><p>So why can’t he move?</p><p>“You leaving left Hydra with nothing. We’ve spent five years licking our wounds and only gaining more. If we had you, we could have been great. We could have recovered but now - now we have nothing. Nothing!” the Doctor grabs a scalpel from the table next to her, twisting it so it glints in the dim light of the basement. “So now, we’re going to make sure you have nothing. You are going to kill the Avengers, one by one. And you will cooperate. You will obey me again.”</p><p>“No-” Peter finds his voice, only to lose it as she steps back, letting him see… </p><p>Letting him see Harley, strapped down into the chair, the panels already in place to shock him. He’s got a gag in his mouth, but even with the restraints and danger just hovering above his skin he’s struggling and trying to yell through the leather. He doesn’t know what he’s sitting in, he wouldn’t still be struggling if he did. They haven’t hurt him yet. </p><p>Good. </p><p>Peter can’t let them hurt Harley. He can’t make Harley go through that, through the chair and the pain and the tortures the Doctor can inflict. He won’t. </p><p>“Let him go,” Peter begs, voice weak, eyes never leaving Harley. He’s staring across whatever bunker room they are in, his eyes wide in fear and anger as he stares at Peter. He doesn’t know what’s happening. </p><p>He never got around to explaining. And now it’s too late. </p><p>“Hmm, no, I don’t think I will. See, Spider, I’m not a fool, no matter what those short-minded cowards say. I know you will not cooperate should I tell you to kill those Avengers you love so deeply. If I were to wipe you, we’d just have another Winter situation the moment you saw one of those freaks. So I will not be wiping you, nor will I be torturing you.” The Doctor walks behind him, her hands heavy on his shoulders. “But should you disobey… well, I’m sure you can figure it out.”</p><p>“Please… Please, no, ma’am, please -” </p><p>“Spider… You know your rules.” The Doctor laughs darkly, hand wrapping around his throat, squeezing, choking him. “What are you not supposed to do?”</p><p>“Speak,” he gasps, forcing his body to stay still even as his lungs start burning. “Fight.”</p><p>“Or…”</p><p>“Punishment.” His visions just about to go dark when she lets go, leaving him gasping for breath. </p><p>“Ma’am,” the door to the cement room they’re in slams open, a frazzled looking guy in a lab coat running in. “You said to alert you if the Avengers are on the move. They’ve just left the Tower in a big hurry. Armed plane and everything, heading our way.” </p><p>“There’s no way they know where we are,” The Doctor laughs, picking the scalpel back up and walking over to Harley. Harley starts struggling, yelling some more behind his gag because he’s a damn idiot who’s going to get himself hurt and he - he can’t get hurt, Spider can’t let him get hurt. </p><p>But he can’t do a thing about it either. He’s not allowed to fight or struggle. He’s not allowed to ask for them to stop punishment. He can’t… </p><p>He needs to fight. Harley doesn’t deserve this. He’s too good, too nice for Hydra to hurt and - and ruin and Spider can’t… Punishment is worth keeping Harley safe. Only - only Harley hurting is his punishment so - so does he cooperate or… or… </p><p>God it's too confusing. </p><p>“They do, ma’am. Our servers were just hacked.” </p><p>The Doctor curses in German, before turning to the two guards standing by Harley. “You two, don’t let our little pet get away!” She runs out of the room with the tech, the door slamming and locking with a snap behind her. </p><p>The room’s quiet for a few moments. Harley gives him a confused look, but Spider tries to tune him out for a few minutes. He needs to think. He needs to make a plan. </p><p>No. He doesn’t. There’s only one plan here, and that’s to get Harley out of here. Not cooperate, not letting the Doctor do whatever she wants to him, none of that. He needs to get Harley out of there because he’s not - because he’s not Spider. He’s Peter. </p><p>And Peter does not belong to Hydra. </p><p>Peter takes a quick stock of the room. There’s no visible openings in the ceiling or walls for any guns, gas, or other traps to pour out of, so any threats will come from the door or things already inside. It looks like an unfinished basement, which is probably what it is. Hydra is so scattered that the Doctor got dumped somewhere minor, probably with few guards and weak security. She’s not useful without a super soldier to work on, and Hydra throws away anything, anyone, who’s not useful. This is definitely not going to be the most secure of Hydra buildings, which is probably how Tony got their location so quickly. Well, that and the tracker that he knows is sewn into Harley’s jacket, which he’s still wearing. And the other one in Peter’s watch. </p><p>Hydra’s losing their touch. Or at least, the Doctor is losing her marbles.</p><p>The chair isn’t remotely controlled. The newer ones in the bunker he was raised in was, but this chair looks old, more like the one that first trained Bucky than any recent ones. As long as he doesn’t let these two guards get to the control panel beside the chair, Harley isn’t in danger right now. </p><p>The two guards themselves won’t be a problem. They’re human, with plenty of weapons and muscles. But he’s been taking down guys like these for most of his life. If he can beat the Black Widow, these two aren’t a concern, even with his arms bound and with no weapons. Well, the gun to his head might be a bit of a bother, but not enough. </p><p>He’s quicker than any human. </p><p>Peter takes a moment, breaths in, breaths out, making a plan. </p><p>“If you let us go, I won’t kill you.” Peter forces a confident laugh out of his mouth, making it loud enough to hide the snap of the duct tape around his wrists and ankles. “Or maybe not, I’m still debating.</p><p>One of the guards shoots him in the shoulder. Which is better than the head. It’s supposed to be a warning, he’s sure. Not that he intends to follow it. In the end, it’s helpful, because with the crack of the gun and Harley’s scream, the guards don’t notice Peter pressing the button on his watch to turn them into miniature web-shooters. They were rather dumb not to take it from him.</p><p>“Rude.” Peter snaps. Before he’s even finished the word, he’s twisting into the man with the gun to his temple. He pushes the gun up, ducking under it and sweeping a leg under the guy. As he falls, Peter steals the knife at his hip. In the second after he falls, but before he can recover, Peter’s got the knife in his throat and a web shot at the other guard who was running for the chair’s button. </p><p>He wrenches the guard's hand back, sending him stumbling, off-balance, and away from the panel. Peter flings the knife into its second throat of the day, watching the guy drop like a stone, a satisfied warmth spreading through him. </p><p>He stands up, grabs the gun by the man he took down first, shooting him in the forehead, once, twice. Then he does the same to the other. Never hurts to be thorough. <br/>Once the two are very much dead, he runs over to Harley, ripping the electroshock panels off the damn chair. Remove the threat before anything. The restraints go next, Harley removing the gag on his own. </p><p>“Peter what the hell - “ Before Harley can ask one of the many questions he’s sure to have, Peter pulls him into a hug. </p><p>“Shit, darlin’, too tight!” Harley gasps, even as he still clutches Peter to his chest. Peter makes sure to loosen his grip, just a little, but doesn’t let go. Harley’s okay. He’s out of that chair, he’s okay, and Peter will get them out of there and back home where he can curl up in his bed and try not to cry when all of this hits him. It’ll be okay. It has to be. </p><p>His spider-sense goes off, just in time for Peter to spin around and grab another one of those sedative darts that took him down the first time. He flings it back the way it came, hitting none other than the Doctor in the throat. </p><p>“Fuck you.” Peter hisses, in German, so she’s sure to understand it. He picks up the gun again, holding it right above her. She’s already unconscious, of course, she is, that sedative enough to bring down Peter in moments. </p><p>He still unloads the rest of the clip into her chest and head, sobbing with every shot. He’d probably grab another magazine and keep going if Harley hadn’t wrapped around Peter’s back, gently pushing down the gun with one arm around his waist. </p><p>“Shh, it’s okay, baby. You’re okay. She’s dead, Peter, it’s okay.” Harley coos, rubbing Peter’s arm. “Let’s get out of here, alright darlin’?” Peter nods, clinging to Harley as they make their way out of the not-so-safe house. There are a couple more guards, but Peter shoots them before they even notice the two of them coming. </p><p>He checks the whole house to make sure everyone in it is dead, then does a perimeter check just to be sure, before joining Harley where he left him, sitting on the steps. The web-shooter watch has a distress signal in it that Peter made sure to activate, even though he’s positive the others are coming still.</p><p>All they can do now is wait.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. Chapter 10</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hi, shit, sorry i left you on a cliffhanger for so long. I got hit by that hurricane and won't be getting power back until sunday. I'm posting this from my nana's where we're staying so that we're not stuck in a 94 degree house with no running water or not-melted food. This week's going great guys. just great. here's the next chapter, and I'll post the last chapter tomorrow because it won't be coming out for a while if i don't. Hope you guys enjoy it! </p><p>TW: Dissociation, blood, medical shit (stitching up a wound)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Fuck, you’re still bleeding,” Harley gasps, as if he’d forgotten it just as much as Peter has, only remembering when he glances over to Peter on the step just below him. He hasn’t asked any questions, which is good, because Peter’s pretty sure he’d completely break down if he did. </p><p>“It’ll heal.” He knows his voice is flat, knows he’s just staring into nowhere, knows he’s probably scaring the shit out of Harley. He can’t find it in him to care. </p><p>Hydra got him again. He took care of it, but they still did. They took Harley, nearly hurt him, badly. He killed the Doctor. He killed the other six people in that building, and yes they were Hydra, but he didn’t even think twice about it. </p><p>He fell back into Spider. It was so easy, he didn’t - he didn’t even realize it. He couldn’t fight the Doctor. He couldn’t break his orders. He was - he was - she owned him again. Even if Tony said she never would, for that brief time, he was Hydra’s again. He fought out, but… </p><p>He’d been calling himself Spider again. And he didn’t - he couldn’t even see what was wrong with it, not until he thought about Harley getting hurt.</p><p>Peter knows he’s going to panic about this later. But for now, he lets a quiet wash of nothingness cover him. He can’t do this. Can’t think about this. Not right now. Not until they are safe. </p><p>He just wants to go to sleep. In his bed, with his dolls or - or with Tony hugging him on the couch or with… with Harley. He wants Harley’s scent on him again, not the Doctor’s, not the blood that’s still clinging to his hands, not this house, he wants Harley.</p><p>Peter leans against Harley’s side, barely registering the fact that he’s putting pressure onto Peter’s shoulder wound. </p><p>“Stay with me Pete,” Harley begs. His voice is tinged with panic, the pressure increasing. </p><p>“’m fine, Harles.” Peter mumbles. “Please just… just hold me. Please, I need - I need you to hold me.”</p><p>“Oh darlin’…” Harley gives a worried look to his shoulder, before letting go of it to pull Peter to his chest. He must have realized by now that, if Peter’s been able to function just fine by now, it’s not as big of a concern. He’s definitely figured out that Peter’s enhanced, maybe even figured out more than that. He will, soon. Peter will have to explain and then - and then - </p><p>And then Harley will hate him. How could he not? Peter’s a - a monster. He killed so many people when he was young and he - he thought he was better, he thought he’d gotten over this. But then back in that basement, he didn’t even hesitate. He was Hydra’s again and how - how could Harley or Tony or any of them trust him again? If he fell back that quickly then he could again, and maybe next time there won’t be Harley there to pull him out and what if - what if -</p><p>“Peter, stop thinking. It’s okay. You’re okay now,” Harley whispers, pulling Peter into his lap, pressing his face into his neck. It feels so nice, to be tucked under Harley’s chin, his arms around him… it feels so right… “I promise. Whatever you’re thinking about, it’ll be okay. You’re going to be okay.” </p><p>“Do you hate me?” Peter fists his hands into Harley’s sweatshirt, knowing tears are soaking it, knowing he’s being weak and he’s not supposed to cry it’s bad it’s not allowed but he can’t help it. He needs to know, he needs to hear Harley say it. </p><p>“Sweetheart, I could never hate you.” Harley presses a kiss to the top of his head. “I promise. I could never hate you.” </p><p>“Okay.” He lets himself feel comforted by that. Lets himself drift into the vague fog that’s been clinging at his mind for… he’s not sure how long now. He’s just… </p><p>So tired…</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>“Peter! Harley! Fuck, are you two okay?” Tony’s thrusters touch the ground only a half-second before he’s out of the suit and stumbling over to them. He pulls the two of them into a hug, but Peter only notices it from a distance. Nothing feels real right now. He doesn’t feel real. It’s almost like how pulling out of being activated feels when he starts to feel sensations but can’t quite connect what they are to the things actually happening around him. </p><p>“Peter got shot, he needs medical help, he’s lost a lot of blood, Tony,” Harley says. Peter thinks he sounds scared, but he’s not sure why. Was he shot? He doesn’t feel pain. He doesn’t feel much of anything. “He’s really out of it, I don’t - Tony.”</p><p>“It’s okay, he’ll be okay,” Tony assures Harley. Peter pretends like he’s talking to him, telling him that it’ll be okay. It’s nice.</p><p>There’s a rush of wind, a jet touching down in front of them. Tony picks Peter up, hurrying with Harley to the jet. He’s placed on the fold-down cot, a distinctly familiar sensation, though he can’t remember from when. Someone presses something to his shoulder, a quiet spike of pain hitting him before it fades just as quick. </p><p>“You’re going to be okay, kid. You’re safe now.” Tony whispers. Or at least, Peter thinks he whispers. It’s rather hard for him to think right now. He just won’t. </p><p>Peter’s not sure whether he sleeps some more on the flight back to the Tower, or if he just doesn’t register it happening. Figuring it out seems like more work then it’s worth. All he knows is he was on the plane, and now Dr. Cho is hovering over him pulling a bullet out of his shoulder while Tony holds his hand and Harley looks vaguely sick but very determined in the corner. </p><p>“Sorry about that Peter, but we needed to get it out before you healed.” Dr. Cho says. She starts stitching up the wound, the little pricks of pain working to bring him back into his body. </p><p>“Dad,” he croaks, squeezing Tony’s hand. “They… they found me.”</p><p>“Yea I… I know kid. I know. I’m so sorry.” Tony’s voice cracks. </p><p>“I was... I was Spider again. I didn’t… I was theirs again. I couldn’t disobey” </p><p>“No. No Peter, you were never theirs. I can’t even imagine how hard that was for you, and if you couldn’t fight back, it was because you were scared. Not because you were ever theirs, or because you ever wanted to obey them again. You’re Peter, and they will never take that from you.”</p><p>“Okay.” Peter sighs, exhaustion flooding him. “I killed her, Dad. She’s dead now.” </p><p>“The Doctor?” Tony frowns. Peter nods. “Good.”</p><p>“Don’t let them get me again. Okay? P-please, don’t let them take me again. I don’t - I just - I don’t want to be Spider again.” Tears start pouring down Peter’s cheeks, though he doesn’t quite register them. Tony says something, but again, he falls into that distant place, hearing and seeing but not - not processing. It’s there, everything is right there if he could just reach out, except he can’t, he can’t find his way back and - </p><p>The bed dips by his side, an arm circling his shoulders and pulling him to a firm chest. </p><p>“Harley what are - “ Tony starts, before cutting off quickly. Peter ignores him, instead tucking his face into Harley’s shirt. It smells like him, like summer fields and crisp fall air, so much stronger than it is on the sweatshirts Peter steals because he’s right here, holding Peter close and rubbing his wrist over his neck. </p><p>“You’re okay, sweetheart. Take a deep breath, hon’, it’s okay. We’re home now. You’re in the medbay, with me and Tony, and you’re… you’re never gonna have to deal with them again. Okay? We won’t ever let them take you again. You’re safe here, with us. I promise you.” Harley whispers. He puts one hand over Peter’s, giving it a squeeze. </p><p>The door to the room opens, Pepper rushing in with red eyes. </p><p>“Oh thank fuck you’re okay.” Her voice cracks as soon as she sees Peter. She’s got a stuffed animal in her hands, clutched to her chest. Peter makes grabby hands, eyes locked on the bear. She laughs, brushing away new tears as she hands the doll over before hugging Tony like she’s about to fall apart. Maybe she is. </p><p>Peter sure feels like he will, holding his old Captain America teddy, being held against Harley’s chest, the reassuring scents of his parents there and… </p><p>A sob breaks from his lips. Then another, and another, until he’s wailing into Harley, emotion crashing over him now that he’s safe, so much more than he can handle on his own. </p><p>But it’s - it’s okay. Because he isn’t on his own. </p><p>Not anymore.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. Chapter 11</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is it!! the final chapter of the series! Thank you so much to everyone who's read, commented, given kudos, and subscribed, you guys mean the world to me and i love reading each and every comment! You all inspire me to keep writing. I hope you enjoyed the series, and this chapter too! </p><p>Also, just a little self-promo because I have no shame: If LGBT polyam super-villains saving their city out of pure spite and gay love sounds interesting to you, then you might like my novel,  <a href="https://smile.amazon.com/Sparks-Fly-Elliot-Orion/dp/B08BVY1489/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=elliot+orion+sparks+fly&amp;qid=1596922194&amp;sr=8-1"> Sparks Fly by Elliot Orion on Amazon!!</a> ! it's available in Kindle and paperback form and it'd mean so much if you checked it out!</p><p>I hope you enjoy the chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“How long have you been down here, darlin’?” Harley’s voice startles Peter, nearly making him drop the weights for the enhanced people in the tower. He’s honestly not sure how much is on the bar right now, lost track a few hours ago of how many weights, how many reps, how long it’d been since he’d hidden in the gym. </p><p>“What time is it?” Peter asks, grabbing the water bottle Harley passes him. </p><p>“Um… twelve-thirty. Pepper sent me down here to grab you for lunch.” </p><p>“Then about eight hours. Give or take. Tell mom I’m not hungry.” </p><p>“Oh no, no, if you’ve been training like this,” Harley gestures to the weights, “Then you need to eat, hon’. ….Enhanced or no.” Harley gives him a little look then like he’s checking to make sure he guessed right. </p><p>It’s been three days since the two of them were kidnapped. Three days of Peter actively avoiding Harley, his parents, and basically everyone but Morgan. And her only because he has no choice. All his time has been spent down at the gym training, or in his lab working on the suit he still hasn’t told Tony about, and web-shooters and anything he could think of. His lab has been on lockdown basically every time he’s in there, no one but him allowed to enter unless he’s actively hurting himself, in danger, or there’s an emergency. </p><p>Well, mates are also allowed to enter during lockdown mode, something Pepper definitely talked Tony into, but he doesn’t have one, now does he? </p><p>“I healed from a bullet to the shoulder in less than a day and am lifting… what is this two tons? I don’t know. Yes, I’m enhanced, and no I’m not hungry.” He’s really not. He probably should be, he only ate a sandwich last night and he has been down here since he woke up from a nightmare, again. But he’s not about to go up and see his parents and their worried looks and carefully worded questions. </p><p>“Peter, you’re coming up to eat.” Harley crosses his arms, a look in his eyes Peter’s… really not used to seeing. It’s the same look Pepper gives Tony when he spends seventy-two hours straight in the lab. The same look Steve gives Bucky when he starts isolating or watching bad news stories about the Winter Soldier just to hurt himself. </p><p>And he… he really can’t deny that look, just like Tony and Bucky never can. It makes something awful squirm inside him, thinking about disappointing his alpha and being bad and - </p><p>Wait. Not his alpha. Just Harley.</p><p>Maybe he should eat. </p><p>“Fine. But… I don’t want to eat with mom and dad. They’re worried about me.” Peter frowns, unable to look up at Harley. “You know how they get.” </p><p>Harley sighs. “How about you go shower and meet me on the roof, and we can eat there? That sound better, sweetheart?” </p><p>That almost sounds worse. He’s been trying to avoid Harley for a goddamn reason. He just… he doesn’t want to have to explain. He doesn’t want to tell Harley about who he was and what he did and have to see that look of disgust on his face. He just… he can’t. </p><p>But he can’t keep avoiding Harley forever. He doesn’t want to. </p><p>“Okay.” Peter and Harley are quiet on the elevator, Harley stopping on the common room floor to talk to Pepper and Tony while Peter heads up. </p><p>They meet less than ten minutes later on the roof, Harley already having spread out nearly eight different plates with different foods and sandwiches and snacks. He’s not looking at the door, but out over the skyline, a small smile on his face with the wind blowing at his hair. He looks beautiful. </p><p>He always does. </p><p>“That’s a lot of food.” Peter laughs a little, sitting on the blanket. It sounds weak and fake even to him. Now that he can smell all the food, though, he’s really glad Harley dragged him up. A wave of hunger hits him, so strong he has to physically hold his hands back from reaching for the food. </p><p>“Go on, eat, I know you’re starving.” Harley rolls his eyes. “Pep told me you’ve got a wicked fast metabolism so this would be an appropriate amount of food. Oh, also, she gave me this.” Harley passes Peter his med, which he gratefully swallows before digging into the food. </p><p>“Thanks.” He says around a mouthful of leftover dumplings. </p><p>“No problem.” Harley smiles, a big, beaming, proud one. “Why do you take that med by the way? I’m pretty sure enhanced people can’t actually be lactose intolerant.” </p><p>“I am, actually. And gluten intolerant, and basically everything intolerant. My body never learned how to make the shit you need to digest things, so the pill gives me those enzymes and stuff. Apparently, it’s a problem normal people can have, though we needed to adjust the medication for my body and the, ah, the extremeness of my condition and all. But lactose and gluten intolerant are a good cover story.” Peter shrugs. It’s only then he realizes he said a lot more than he intended to. </p><p>It’s high time Harley knew, and at least this is an easy thing to talk about. </p><p>“Oh. And… why did your body never learn how to make those enzymes?” Harley picks at his sandwich, pretending he’s not digging for information like Peter knows he is. </p><p>“I…” Peter sets down a plate of nachos he was about to inhale. “I should probably tell you everything. I know, um, you’ve probably got questions? Did… did anyone tell you anything yet?” </p><p>“They told me you had bad experiences with Hydra, and in particular with that lady who was being all creepy to you. The rest of it they said was your story to tell. But I’ll admit, it’s kind of been driving me crazy,” Harley laughs weakly, rubbing his neck. “Especially that lady. God, seein’ her touching you like that and how scared you looked when she did and just… how intense your distress scent was… darlin’ if I hadn’t been strapped down I think I’d have shot her myself.” </p><p>“That lady was the Doctor,” Peter whispers. “She… she raised me. I guess. Made me enhanced and did these experiments and tests and… yea. Right before I left, I was starting my first heat, and she knew and she was… she said she had all these tests she wanted to do and was so excited and it felt - god it felt so wrong Harley, I didn’t know why but I do now and I - fuck, her being there and touching me it just - it was - “ Peter has to bite down on his lip to stop tears from coming. He hasn’t even started, he can’t start crying now. </p><p>“Peter, sweetheart, she’s never going to hurt you again. No one’s ever going to hurt you like that. I won’t fucking let them,” Harley reaches out and takes his hand. He rubs the back of Peter’s hand, so gentle compared to the pure venom in his voice. For some reason, it just makes him feel safe. </p><p>“I know… Do you know Bucky? How he was brainwashed and forced to kill for Hydra and how they hurt him?” Peter asks. Harley freezes a bit, nodding slowly. “Well… I was Hydra too. Except, not really, I just… they raised me from when I was a baby and trained me to kill for them and made me enhanced, and I never knew any different until I presented when I was fighting the Avengers and they took me with them and became my family and… I was there for twelve years and I killed so many people Harley, and I believed what they told me, and they never - they never had to brainwash me like Bucky because I was so obedient so I don’t - I don’t have any excuse for it.” </p><p>Peter starts sobbing. “The worst thing is I - I enjoyed killing for them, Harley. I did, I enjoyed getting out of that bunker I was raised in and killing people and I never hesitated, not even once, and I killed children and families and anyone because I was their perfect little weapon and - and I was a monster and I - I - god I’m so sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, please don’t hate me, Harley, please I can’t - I can’t - “ </p><p>Harley pulls him across the blanket, sitting Peter in his lap, tucked under his chin just like when they were waiting on the steps. And just like then, it’s so soothing, so warm and perfect. Harley’s running his fingers through Peter’s curls, just letting him cry it out surrounded by his perfect, comforting scent, protecting him and keeping him safe while he breaks down. </p><p>“Peter,” Harley looks down at him, once the tears have slowed slightly. “I don’t hate you. Why would I ever hate you for that? They raised you, you were a kid, you had no way of knowing what you were doing was wrong. And maybe they didn’t have to do it like they did to Bucky, but they did brainwash you, darlin’. And I’m going to guess that they hurt you in other ways.” </p><p>“They did.” Peter sniffles. “I’m still realizing things that were normal to me were bad. You should have seen how mad dad got when he first found out about some of them.” </p><p>“I think I’m going to get equally mad, so I’m not going to ask. I don’t think its the time yet anyway.” Harley’s voice is tight, his scent burning with anger even though Peter’s pretty sure he’s trying to hold it back. </p><p>“It’s a long list.” he admits. “I don’t… I don’t want to talk about it right now though.” </p><p>“I don’t blame you.” Harley smiles weakly, pressing a kiss to Peter’s head. “You’re incredible Pete. You know that, right darlin’?” He shrugs. He doesn’t really want to talk about that either. </p><p>“But, um… yea, so, that’s why I knew how to do… all of that back there, and stuff, so… Yea, that’s cool, I guess.” Peter trails off. “Can we talk about something else?”</p><p>“Of course, but… one more question?” Harley asks. Peter nods for him to go on. “Why aren’t you an Avenger? You should be, you’d be incredible, Pete. I mean, the things you could do back there? You’d help so many people.” </p><p>“I want to be.” Peter groans. “I’ve been begging dad for years. But he doesn’t want me going out into a fight, said he promised me I’d never have to again. But he promised me that back when I first got here and was scared as shit, and I’m better now, and I want to help people. I want to make up for some of what I did, just like Natasha and Bucky do, but he won’t let me do it! I’m not even a kid anymore, I’m a few months from being eighteen! I’ve got a suit and web-shooters and my own AI all set to go, but no…. No being Spider-Man for me!”  </p><p>“Wait… Spider-Man?” Harley raises an eyebrow. Peter lets out a frustrated sigh.</p><p>“Remember that guy who helped out at the Battle of New York? Red and blue suit, used webs to keep buildings together and clear out civilians?”</p><p>“Holy shit, that was you? Wait - wait, so Tony knows you’re capable as hell in a fight for the good guys too, and he still won’t let you help? Didn’t he say on like, national television you would?” Harley frowns, though he doesn’t stop slowly rubbing circles into the small of Peter’s back with his thumb, nearly drawing a purr from him. It just feels so good, being in his arms like this. God, it feels so right… </p><p>“Yes! And now that I’m ready he still won’t! It’s infuriating!” Peter scowls. “I could help people, you know? I want to help people with my abilities, not just… not just hurt them.”</p><p>“I know. We can talk to him later, okay? Maybe if we gang up on him it’ll finally work.” Harley presses his forehead to Peter’s. “Until then… um…” </p><p>Peter swallows hard, realizing just how close the two of them are. He knows he’s blushing, hell Harley is too. They’re so close and… </p><p>Harley pushes forward, his lips meeting Peter’s. It’s quick, a shy little kiss, Harley pulling back almost immediately with an apology already starting. </p><p>He just laughs at him, grabbing Harley’s face and pulling him back down for a proper kiss this time. Harley lets out a happy hum, hand reaching up to cradle the back of Peter’s skull, pulling him deeper until he’s lightheaded and dizzy with the feeling of Harley’s lips on his and his hands digging into his curls and how their bodies fit together so perfectly and…</p><p>“Can I take you out for dinner?” Harley gasps for air when they finally pull back, still close enough that Peter can feel the warmth of his breath. “I want to - to do this right. Please?”</p><p>“That sounds good. Dinner sounds - sounds good.” Peter giggles, drawing Harley back in. “But kissing first.”</p><p>“Kissing sounds good to me.” </p><p>Distantly, his sensitive ears pick up the sound of the door opening, a hushed swear, and his dad rushing whoever’s with them back down. He can’t really find it in himself to care. He’ll deal with his dad’s over-protectiveness and what’s bound to be a crazy family later. </p><p>For now, he’s got Harley. </p><p>Kissing sounds good to him too.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Ok I know I end it with things still having a lot of room to develop and all, but i'm not intending to add any more parts to this. Just so no one gets their hopes up. However, if anyone wanted to pick this series up and continue it after this? I'd be open to the idea. No story is ever really over. Isn't that what fanfiction is all about? ;)</p><p>Once again, thank you everyone for reading!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Comments, emojis, incoherent screaming, keyboard smashes, bloodline curses, questions, an emoticon heart when you want to give extra kudos, and all other forms of feedback are always appreciated!! Please no critiques or suggestions, though predictions and questions are always welcome. Just don't expect anything since this is completed!! </p><p>Also if you're interested in an original fiction superhero book about an LGBT polyam triad full of a bunch of disaster gays who save the city out of spite, head over to my Tumblr @elliot-orion, because I just published a book!! Thanks for reading!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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